Yahoo News Notorious Exeter road to get two-way speed camera
An old speed camera that has been in operation in Exeter for more than two decades is being replaced with a new two-way camera that will detect motoring offences in both directions. It is being installed on Alphington Road by the Church Road junction near Sainsbury's.
The road is renowned for being one of the busiest routes in and out of Exeter and is often heavily congested with traffic. The new high-tech bi-directional camera will not only penalise speeding motorists but also enforce red light violations. It has not been confirmed when it will be in operation.
A Devon County Council spokesperson said: “A safety camera enforcement site has been in operation at the Church Road signalised junction on Alphington Road, Exeter, for over 20 years. In partnership with Vision Zero South West, many of the older speed and red-light enforcement camera sites in Devon are being replaced to keep them operational and to continue to support road safety in the county.
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“The new camera that is being installed on Alphington Road will continue to enforce red light and speed violations at this busy junction. But the new camera technology will also be able to enforce speeding in both directions of travel along the A377."
The new camera is part of a roll-out following a successful trial of the new technology in Devon and Cornwall. The new cameras, placed in areas including Exmouth and Totnes, caught thousands of drivers in just the first few days of the trial period in the south west.
The pilot project saw four of the new cameras installed with 3,280 drivers issued tickets in only two weeks. One of the cameras had been activated about 120 times per day in the first two weeks, while another detected a driver travelling at 73mph on a 30mph road.
The new cameras are able to catch speeding drivers on both sides of the road, rather than the old systems which could only capture motorists in the left-hand lane. It does so by having a single camera facing each direction to capture vehicles in two lanes when travelling in opposite directions.
These new ultra-speed cameras also do not require painted lines on the road, like many of the older legacy cameras do. Also equipped on the bi-directional cameras is infrared, low light technology, meaning there will no longer be a flash at speeding drivers. These new speeding detectors do not look like the typical yellow box cameras that drivers are used to seeing up and down UK roads.
Instead, the small camera is sat on top of a tall pole, which has been painted yellow for maximum visibility. Road safety experts are hoping the bi-directional speed cameras will capture more speeding motorists, thus encouraging Brits to consistently drive at safe and legal speeds.
