Average speed cameras will be used to police new 30mph roads

Manchester: So, guess what? The city is rolling out average speed cameras to keep an eye on those new 30mph speed limits on main roads. It’s all part of a plan to make the streets safer.

The council is looking to drop the speed limits on main roads to 30mph, which means some roads that used to be 40mph will be slowed down. They’re also thinking about lowering limits in the city center and residential areas to 20mph.

Right now, about half of the residential roads are already at 20mph, but they haven’t said when the rest will follow suit. A spokesperson mentioned they’ll consider things like traffic flow when deciding which roads can stay at 30mph.

Now, here’s the kicker: they’re upgrading the speed camera system. The old ‘wet film’ cameras are getting replaced with digital ones. This upgrade is expected to help catch speeders more effectively and encourage safer driving habits.

Since May 2023, Transport for Greater Manchester has been on this Safety Camera Project. They’ve already swapped out 91 spot speed cameras and are in the process of replacing 53 more with average speed cameras on 25 routes.

So, if you’re driving in Manchester, you’ll need to keep it under 30mph. Peter Boulton from TfGM said they’re all in on this Vision Zero plan, aiming to eliminate road fatalities and serious injuries by 2040. Sounds like a solid plan to me!