FATAL and serious accidents on the A14 have fallen by 80 per cent in a year, according to figures released today (Tuesday). The data compiled by Cambridgeshire police shows that during the first year of the introduction of the average speed cameras, betwe

FATAL and serious accidents on the A14 have fallen by 80 per cent in a year, according to figures released today (Tuesday).

The data compiled by Cambridgeshire police shows that during the first year of the introduction of the average speed cameras, between June 2007 and May 2008, there were just two serious collisions compared to 11 for the same period in 2006/2007.

Overall, the number of collisions on the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge has reduced by 21 per cent and casualties by 25 per cent, the figures show.

Inspector Clinton Hale, Safety Camera Unit Manager, said: "The safety camera system is proving a success, with journey times improving and collisions reducing.

"Speed variability has reduced, offending rates are low and we have had feedback from motorists saying the road is calmer and journeys are safer."

Since the cameras went live in July 2007, 31 notifications of prosecution have been issued. As a comparison, during the first week of testing the cameras in July last year, 91 speeding offences were identified.

Inspector Hale added: "I am delighted the number of prosecutions and of course fines has gone down because it means that people are paying heed to the speed limit.

"These cameras are about reducing speeds to save lives and reducing serious injuries.

"The evidence so far is that they are working."

The SPECS cameras cost £2.5million to install and 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 A14.

INFORMATION: Do you think the cameras are a good thing for the A14 and as a commuter have you seen a reduction in accidents on the road? Send your views to: editor@huntspost.co.uk or write to: A14 speed cameras, The Hunts Post, 30 High Street, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE29 3TB.

The figures:

June 1 2006 - May 31 2007

- Total collisions - 83

- Serious collisions - 9

- Fatal collisions - 2

- Minor collisions - 72

- Total casualties - 132

- Slight injuries - 120

- Serious injuries - 10

- Fatal injuries - 2

June 1 2007 - May 31 2008

- Total collisions - 66

- Serious collisions - 2

- Fatal collisions - 0

- Minor collisions - 64

- Total casualties - 99

- Slight injuries - 96

- Serious injuries - 3

- Fatal injuries - 0