Camera sites to double in West Yorkshire

The number of safety cameras on West Yorkshire’s roads is to double in the next 18 months – from 68 to 136 – in a bid to cut the mounting toll of fatal and serious injury casualties.

In addition, West Yorkshire Police are to introduce four more mobile speed camera units, bringing the number in use to six. Traffic light cameras are also to be installed at junctions with bad casualty records.

The West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership says 11 roads with the highest casualty figures in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield are to have cameras installed between now and March 2003 and a further 12 roads will follow suit in 2003/04.

The campaign launch took place at Thornton Grammar School, Bradford, close to where two road tragedies occurred last year - one of which claimed the lives of three adults and a baby.

West Yorkshire’s 2001 road casualty figures make grim reading. The death toll increased by 20 per cent to its highest level for 10 years, with 144 fatalities, compared to 120 the year before. In addition, 1,187 people suffered serious injury, eight more than in the previous year.

"This is a very disturbing trend - something must be done to persuade drivers to slow down," said senior traffic engineer Steve Thornton. "It is not our objective to catch more drivers - we simply want them to slow down, observe speed limits and reduce the appalling toll of fatalities and serious injuries."

Further information about this initiative can be obtained from the following website: www.safetycameraswestyorkshire.co.uk, or by contacting the partnership’s PR manager Ron Miller on (01274) 757420 or by e-mail ron.miller@wysafetycameras.gov.uk.