By-pass speed cameras net £165,000 in five years

Controversial speed cameras on the Whitchurch by-pass have netted more than £165,000 in fines over a five year period.

Figures released by the West Mecia Safer Roads Partnership show 2,753 drivers were handed conditional fixed-penalty fines between 2007 and 2012 on the three-mile stretch where the A41 joins the A49.

Mobile speed cameras generated £165,180 in speeding fines with 2,338 drivers attending speed awareness courses and 331 motorists handed a court summons.

Drivers notched up an average speed of 55mph, with 85% of drivers keeping below the by-pass speed limit of 60mph.

Drivers have long complained about the by-pass cameras used on a road that has an overtaking lane which invites fast speeds.

But experts warn that the road has a number of hazards, including lay bys and junctions with the potential for serious accidents.

Anna Higgins, Communications Manager, Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia said: "Speed enforcement at Whitchurch is part of the wider A41 route where there is a history of speed-related collisions and casualties and we will continue to enforce at the site as appropriate."

One person was killed in a collision on the by-pass in the five-year period along with nine personal injury collisions.

Figures show an increase in drivers caught speeding over the period with 513 fines in 2009 and 726 the following year while the numbers attending speed awareness courses jumped six-fold from 123 to 737 and rose again in 2011 to 893.

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