AVERAGE speed cameras on the A14 between the M11 and the A14 spittals interchange went live on Monday (July 9).It is hoped that by having cameras along the busy stretch of the A14 it will reduce collisions. Inspector Matt Johnson said: Excessive and in

AVERAGE speed cameras on the A14 between the M11 and the A14 spittals interchange went live on Monday (July 9).

It is hoped that by having cameras along the busy stretch of the A14 it will reduce collisions.

Inspector Matt Johnson said: "Excessive and inappropriate speed is one of the main contributors to avoidable collisions that result in death or serious injuries.

"I know that safety cameras are an emotive issue for some members of the public but these cameras have been installed to save lives and reduce serious injury collisions.

"The fact remains that speeding is illegal and will not be tolerated by police."

The SPECS cameras work by using automatic average speed digital technology. A pair of cameras are linked to create a speed control zone, and groups of cameras are then linked to create a speed controlled network. As vehicles pass between camera pairs they are digitally recorded. The time taken to travel between two known points is used to calculate the average speed.

If a vehicle's speed is above the speed threshold, a violation record is created which includes images of the index of the vehicle at the two points and a colour image of the vehicle. The cameras operate 24 hours a day across the network.

SPECS have been shown to improve the flow of traffic and it is hoped that by drivers sticking to the correct limit it will reduce the congestion along the road.