Average speed cameras proposed for A34

Average speed cameras could be installed on the A34 Congleton Road thanks to a commitment from Cheshire’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) and Cheshire East Council.

The road near Macclesfield has been identified as one of four roads across Cheshire to receive a cash injection from the police to make the road safer and reduce speed.

It’s part of PCC David Keane’s ongoing commitment to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on Cheshire’s roads. Over the next year, he has committed to investing more than £1 million to improve road safety.

Part of the ‘A’ road between Monks Heath and Pexhill Road has been put forward by Cheshire East Council to have the cameras installed after an assessment, which included looking at speeding and collision data and concerns raised by local residents.

Cheshire Police will now work with the council to produce detailed plans for an average speed scheme, subject to a feasibility study and site survey.

PCC David Keane said: “Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Cheshire Police and local authorities to make our roads safer, the number of people killed or seriously injured on Cheshire’s roads has reduced by more than a third (38 per cent) over the last five years.

“However, one death on our roads is too many and I am committed to doing everything I can to tackle the five main causes of deaths and serious injuries on our roads, which includes speeding.

“We can save more lives by putting average speed schemes on high collision routes. We’ve seen these type of schemes work on other Cheshire roads including former high collision route the ‘Cat and Fiddle’ in Macclesfield which has seen a 90 per cent decrease in vehicles exceeding the speed limit since average speed cameras were installed.

“This is strong evidence that investing in road safety saves lives. I see the installation of these cameras on the A34 and three other Cheshire roads as the start of a journey to deliver my vision for an ‘average speed Cheshire’.

“This activity will send a clear message that dangerous, and potentially fatal, driving will not be tolerated in Cheshire.” 

A Cheshire East Council spokesperson said: “Road safety remains a high priority for the council and we will continue to work with our Cheshire Road Safety Group partners to develop initiatives such as this that target a reduction in the numbers of road traffic collisions on our local roads.”

Chief constable Darren Martland said: "Cheshire Constabulary is committed to making the county's roads safer for all road users.

“I am confident that the installation of the new cameras will deter motorists from speeding which, we know, can be a significant contributory factor to the number of collisions that occur on our roads.

"Improving road safety is a priority for Cheshire Constabulary and we are confident that the installation of average speed cameras will help to make our roads safer and, ultimately, save lives.”