More action on speeding drivers will be taken thanks to a major new agreement signed by West Midlands Police with the region’s seven local authorities, the Police and Crime Commissioner and West Midlands Combined Authority.
The ‘Joint Working Agreement’ will make it easier to install new cameras, in addition to hundreds of Jenoptik average speed cameras already installed, to catch more speeding drivers, while bringing a consistent approach to speed enforcement across the region.
Speeding is the biggest contributor towards people being killed and seriously injured on West Midlands roads and Chief Constable, Craig Guildford, has been co-ordinating efforts by police and local authorities since September, resulting in the agreement announced.
The new agreement will enable:
• New cameras to be installed in the places where the risk of death or serious injury on our roads is greatest.
• Cameras to be better maintained.
• Better use of existing cameras.
• Other types of camera enforcement, such as ‘spot cameras’ that use the latest technology to more easily capture images of speeding cars and red-light cameras.
• More fines to be issued which leads to more drivers going on speed awareness courses, to encourage more people to stay within the speed limit.
In the West Midlands, we have set the goal to reduce road deaths and serious injury by 50% by 2030 and to zero by 2040. All agencies are supporting and providing road safety programmes and speed enforcement measures.
The partnership sees it work with local councils, charities, the West Midlands Combined Authority and others to achieve safer roads for everyone.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “It’s a tragedy that so many lives are lost on our roads each year – the impact on victims’ families is truly heartbreaking. Unfortunately, speeding and dangerous driving is blighting our region which is why we are cracking down on those who are determined to use our streets as a racetrack. By working together in this way, we can bring more offenders to justice while protecting responsible road users from this scourge.”
Mat MacDonald, West Midlands Road Safety Commissioner, said: “Average Speed Enforcement is a critical tool in getting the most dangerous drivers off the roads and fostering a better culture of safe and respectful behaviour behind the wheel. Rolling this technology out will without a doubt prevent collisions, save lives and make journeys less dangerous for everyone who uses our road network.
“Communities across the region are crying out for more speed cameras, and now this agreement is in place we will be working hard to ensure our local authorities have the resources they need to make this happen as quickly as possible.”
Superintendent Gareth Mason, head of roads policing at West Midlands Police, said: “All parties have worked hard to reach this point with a joint working agreement, this is the start of a reinvigorated partnership with the shared vision and concrete determination to reduce death and serious injury in the West Midlands to zero.”
(Pic: West Midlands Combined Authority)
