Permanent speed cameras could delay commercial vehicle hire drivers
Posted by Joanna Simons
Fleet solutions managers may wish to take into consideration the implementation of permanent average speed check cameras on a busy Cumbrian road when planning journeys in the area.
The A66 near Bassenthwaite Lake will become the first highway in the UK to have an average check installed on a permanent basis, which could lead to slower traffic and longer delays.
According to the Highways Agency, which is overseeing the project, more than 1,400 HGV vehicles use the westbound carriageway each day, meaning a significant number of people running commercial vehicle hire contracts could be affected.
The addition of the cameras to enforce the 50 mph limit is a result of the road's poor safety record, with 25 accidents causing injury in a four year period to the end of December 2008.
Highways Agency project sponsor Phil Davies said: "Permanent safety cameras on the strategic road network are few and far between and we only ever employ them for safety reasons."
Fleet drivers were among those warned by Norfolk Constabulary this week not to use mobile phones at the wheel, with the penalty for commercial vehicle hire drivers who do so rising to £2,500.