Speed Camera Update, October 2023

AutoSpeedwatch (ASW) cameras have been in the village for fourteen months now. The installation followed eighteen months of negotiation and collaboration with West Yorkshire Police, Calderdale Council Highways & Road Safety Officers.

Local councillor George Robinson was instrumental in putting our case to those who needed to be persuaded. This spirit of collaboration and cooperation continues and is essential for the effective use of the camera data provided to the Police.

We are fortunate to have had support initially from Inspector Ben Doughty and latterly from his successor Inspector Craig Collins, with implementation on the ground by PC Joe Dainton and his team. Additional speed enforcement action by the police has been requested as the current level is considered inadequate (two visits in 14 months).

Ian Turner at Calderdale Council Road Safety has provided us with before and after data from the speed tubes they have installed in the village. However, this has not resulted in any positive steps to reduce traffic speeds by the local authority. Quarterly meetings with Inspector Collins, to which Highways are invited, will continue and we will push for greater action from both parties.

Speed tubes were initially installed on Village Street in February 2018, which provided base line data for comparison. At this point, the average speed of traffic on Village Street at the Watford Avenue junction was 26.1mph, and 23.1mph between the main greens. Following the installation of our ASW cameras, data from a second set of speed tubes in February 2023 was compared and showed the average speeds to be 20.6mph at Watford Avenue and 22.6mph at the main greens, a reduction in average speeds of 2mph.

The comparisons that can be made on a month by month basis using the ASW data is perhaps more striking. The number of speeding vehicles logged in July 2022 was 420 with a highest speed of 67mph and 13 repeat offenders. In July 2023, 251 speeders were recorded with a highest speed of 56mph and 22 repeat offenders.

The issue of repeat offenders was raised with Inspector Collins at our last meeting in September resulting in a study of the repeat offenders through June, July & August 2023. The resulting report was forwarded to Inspector Collins for his information & action.

Following the action taken by the police, we can report that camera data from September 2023 has identified that the top ten repeat offenders through June, July & August 2023 did not re-offend in September. This and the overall reduction in speeding over the last fourteen months is reflected graphically below.