New generation safety cameras are being installed at junctions in Cheshire to reduce the number and severity of collisions in the county.
The roadside cameras detect vehicles that go through red lights as well as those that break the speed limit at junctions.
Cheshire Police says driving at an unsafe speed is a contributory factor in 24% of road deaths.
More than twice as many people (41) died on Cheshire’s roads and motorways last year than they did in 2017.
This year there has already been several fatal collisions in the county.
Cheshire Road Safety Group (CRSG), which was set up in 2011, hopes new cameras will lead to a reduction in the number of both fatal and non-fatal collisions in Cheshire.
Brian Rogers, CRSG Implementation Manager, said: “Far too many people have died and been seriously injured as a result of collisions on Cheshire roads in recent times.
“CRSG is investing in new technologies and innovation to make our roads safer.
“Junctions in which vehicles and pedestrians come to a road from different directions are particularly dangerous and it is vital motorists travel at an appropriate speed, one which enables them to stop safely should the colour of traffic lights change or a pedestrian step into the road.
“We hope the new generation cameras will deter motorists from speeding and going through red lights at junctions and therefore reduce the number and severity of collisions.”
Five new camera sites are already up and running at the junction of Dalefords Lane and Chester Road in Sandiway, Northwich; the A41 at Heath Road in Chester; the junction of Parkgate Road and Cheyney Road in Chester; the junction of the A5117 and Pool Lane in Elton Green and the A54 at Kelsall Hill.
Other cameras will be installed across Cheshire East in the coming months.
David Keane, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said: “With an increased number of serious incidents and fatalities on our roads in recent times, these cameras are needed more than ever.
“Law abiding drivers often report to me their shock and frustration at the number of drivers who jump red lights and break the speed limit, selfishly gambling with other people’s lives as well as their own.
“One death is too many and I hope the new cameras will lead to more motorists adhering to the speed limits and driving responsibly, for both their own safety and the safety of others.
“It is important that people across Cheshire support efforts to reduce the amount of collisions in the county as all drivers and riders have a part to play in making our roads safer.”
If prosecuted for speeding, the minimum penalty is a £100 fine and three penalty points.
A court may issue higher fines and disqualify a person from driving, depending on the circumstances.
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