Average-speed cameras – which cost upwards of £300,000 and track a vehicle from one point to the next – are set to be introduced along the Forty Foot river, if councillors give their backing.

Plans for the cameras together with a driver education programme to be launched later this summer were unveiled at a press conference organised by Cambridgeshire highways yesterday.

Calls for safety improvements have been made for years but came to a head after two fatal accidents along the road, one involving a father and his young son from Chatteris in December and the second involved two Portuguese men from Peterborough in January.

The Citizen launched a campaign backing calls for safety improvements and helped present a petition in February calling on the county council to do something about the road.
Around £420,000 was spent on the road last year on resurfacing and improved signage but following the two fatal crashes the county highways launched a new investigation into possible safety measures.

Both accidents are still the subject of inquests and therefore the exact causes have yet to be decided.

However, the council has worked closely with the police and has also taken on board suggestions made by Citizen readers as part of our campaign for safety improvements and other sources.

Having consulted widely, including looking at what is done in similar situations in Holland and America, it has been concluded that the average-speed cameras are the best bet.

Speed checks carried out along the Forty Foot earlier this year showed 82 per cent of drivers travel over the 50 mph speed limit.

The highest speed recorded on one of the mid-way points was 118 mph.

Speeds were measured at 11 points and eight of them showed drivers travelling at 100 mph or above. High speeds ranged upwards from 85 mph to 111 mph.

County council member for highways Mac McGuire said speeding, overtaking and driver error tend to be the main causes of accidents along the Forty Foot, which is what makes average speed cameras the favoured solution as they will encourage motorists to drive within the limit.

Anyone recorded driving above will face an automatic fine.
Barriers of various types have been looked at. The conference heard there are engineering reasons against them, they are very expensive and can lead to other problems.
Cars could bounce off a crash barrier into on-coming tra
ffic or, in the case of wire rope barriers, there is a chance a vehicle could nudge underneath and drop into the river.
Now it is hoped the county's cabinet will on Tuesday back a recommendation for further detailed work looking into the camera system, probably with more than one set of cameras.

Once the detailed scheme has been drawn up it will go on to a list of projects to be prioritised alongside others from around the area. This will be considered by an area joint committee with a decision by the county council in December and hopefully a 2007 start on the work.

It is hoped to introduce the road safety education scheme through agencies such as workplaces and schools.

Mr McGuire said education has been found to be one of the best ways of reducing accidents in places like Holland.

It was pointed out that while there is an acknowledged safety problem along the Forty Foot, it is not as bad as some other roads in the area.

Figures show between January 2000 and December 2005 there were a total of 28 accidents along the Forty Foot – three fatal, four serious and 21 slight.

However, the A1101 Leverington to Tydd Gote road saw a total of 78 incidents: nine fatal, 14 serious and 55 slight and a similar number was recorded along the A141 north of March, with one fatal, 15 serious and 62 slight.

There were four fatals, 32 serious and 99 slight, along the A605 Whittlesey Road, giving a total 135 overall.