Further to the article on page 5 of the August 2024 edition, by Debbie Howard please see below the full letter/article we received but couldn’t include it all in the printed publication…
Dear Bentham News
I have noticed that speeding concerns are regularly being raised in Bentham and this issue will be on the agenda at the next full Bentham Town Council meeting on 5 August 2024 – (DATE CHANGED TO 31st JULY 2024). I ask that you place this letter on your website with a view to raising awareness of the current situation.
Given my background, I conducted some research into road safety and speed enforcement issues in North Yorkshire and presented them in a similar letter to Bentham Town Council with a view to providing detailed and accurate information to allow the Town Council to make decisions on its approach to speed. All data provided in this letter is readily available to the public.
It is unequivocally recognised within Road Safety groups that speed is a main contributary factor in road traffic collisions, speed being one of the ‘fatal 5’ which also includes, mobile phone use, non-wearing of seatbelts, drink/drug driving and careless/inconsiderate driving. The methods used to reduce casualties by police and road safety partnerships is through education, engagement, engineering and enforcement. It is also widely recognised that if a collision occurs, the higher the speed is more likely to result in a greater severity of injury.
North Yorkshire Current Policy
North Yorkshire Police and Council do not currently have any fixed or average speed cameras. They only conduct mobile speed enforcement and have small number of vans and motorcycles for the whole of North Yorkshire. Any decision to change this policy / position is the responsibility of the Office of Police, Fire Crime and Commissioning which now sits within the Combined Authority which is the North Yorkshire Mayor. There does not appear to be any plans to install fixed speed cameras or average speed cameras in North Yorkshire at this time.
Speed concerns are a regular issue that is highlighted at Bentham Town Council meetings, social media platforms and in the Bentham News. In the June 2024 issue of Bentham News, Mrs Pearson the Executive Co-Headteacher of Bentham Primary School, reported that their pupils said ‘speeding cars in Bentham is in their opinion the biggest local issue’. In addition, the recent ‘20’s Plenty’ campaign shows local community concerns. This is further impacted by surrounding counties including Lancashire and Cumbria investing significantly in average speed camera and fixed site enforcement technology.
North Yorkshire Road Casualty Data
Having researched public data available on the internet, despite strong community concerns regarding speeding, there have been small numbers of road casualties within the Bentham area, however on roads surrounding Bentham, for example the A65 between Skipton and Kirkby Lonsdale there is a clear pattern of increased road casualties along this corridor, including fatalities.
Data obtained from York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership shows the following road casualties recorded in North Yorkshire during the last 5 years (not including the City of York).
| Fatal | Serious | KSI | Slight | Total | |
| 2019 | 37 | 297 | 334 | 1111 | 1445 |
| 2020 | 36 | 214 | 250 | 939 | 1189 |
| 2021 | 32 | 249 | 281 | 1109 | 1390 |
| 2022 | 29 | 230 | 259 | 944 | 1203 |
| 2023 | 40 | 359 | 399 | 1195 | 1594 |
| Total | 174 | 1349 | 1523 | 5298 | 6821 |
KSI = Killed and seriously injured
The table shows that a total of 6821 people were injured of which 174 people were killed on the roads of North Yorkshire in the last 5 years. Whilst any one death is tragic, 174 and a further 1349 seriously injured people is shocking and unacceptable. In addition, during 2023 there was a disturbing increase in casualty numbers from 2022, rising higher to even higher levels than in 2019. The increase in KSI’s from 2022 to 2023 is a staggering +35%. It should be noted that the national trend in road casualties is seeing an overall reduction of -4% in fatalities and -3% in serious injuries, therefore North Yorkshire is not falling in line with national reductions and North Yorkshire is also showing the highest levels of casualties within the group of most similar counties.
Further data has been obtained from the Department for Transport website from 2018 to 2022 looking at road speed limits and recorded casualty numbers. This shows that 77.5% of fatalities and 65.3% of serious injuries occur on 60mph limits within North Yorkshire. North Yorkshire is a rural county with a greater proportion of its roads being at the national speed limit of 60mph.
It should be acknowledged that the pandemic in 2020 may have had an impact upon road casualties in that there were fewer people using the roads during this time.
Motorcycle Casualties
Given the stunning countryside we are fortunate to experience in and around Bentham and North Yorkshire, this also attracts many motorcyclists to the county’s roads. Whilst this letter will not attempt to discuss who is at fault in motorcycle collisions, the fact remains that a greater proportion of motorcyclists are killed and seriously injured on North Yorkshire roads compared to other road users. Within the UK in 2022 there were 1.34 million motorcycles registered and 32.17 million cars registered. Whilst on North Yorkshire’s roads between 2019 and 2023, 46 motorcyclists were killed and a further 256 seriously injured. This equates to 27% of all KSI casualties being motorcyclists. Clearly, this is disproportionate to vehicle usage and as such they are a vulnerable road user group.
With bordering counties increasing their speed enforcement capability, this has led to anecdotal reports of motorcyclists altering their routes to travel on North Yorkshire roads as an alternative to other counties as they consider there is less chance of being caught speeding.
Speed Enforcement Options
Police Officer Enforcement
Traditionally, speed enforcement was only performed by police officers however with advancements in technology other methods have become available. Police officer resources are limited and whilst specific police operations targeting road safety issues are conducted, they are unsustainable in the long term and also are dependent on other often spontaneous operational incidents which draws these resources away from road safety issues. North Yorkshire Police and Road Safety Partnership have this as an action within their strategy.
Mobile Camera Enforcement
Police staff conduct mobile speed enforcement in vans in line with community concerns, high casualty data and high recorded speeds. This form of speed enforcement is considered to be effective and flexible to respond to operational needs. North Yorkshire does provide this service and there is evidence of this in the Bentham area on the A65. There are limitations to this enforcement as suitable sites need to be assessed for health and safety reasons and the legal aspects required to secure convictions for speed offences.
Fixed Site Cameras
Fixed speed camera sites have been the most popular choice for most counties in the past. They are effective at the locations where the cameras are located, however critics say road users slow down at these sites then increase speeds immediately after leaving thereby negating the impact of the camera in relation to speed reduction.
Average Speed Cameras
Average speed cameras have been installed across the UK for a number of years, however the technology has progressed and become more affordable in recent years. They are particularly suited to rural roads where speed is a key factor in serious injury collisions and motorcycle casualties. Therefore, installing average speed cameras on the roads surrounding Bentham could be considered to be very effective in reducing speed and casualties.
In 2016 approval was gained from the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety to significantly invest in average speed camera technology. Eight locations were identified as being suitable based upon casualty data, recorded vehicle speeds and community concerns. The cameras were installed from March 2017 and completed in August 2018. An evaluation of the scheme has been obtained titled ‘Rollout and Impacts of Permanent Average Speed Cameras in Lancashire’ July 2021. The document provides a full explanation on the process, business case and evaluation of the Lancashire rollout.
This research concludes that the installation of average speed cameras was successful in Lancashire.
- The positive impacts of permanent average speed cameras on road users and the wider communities of Lancashire have been identified and proven to outweigh the financial and resourcing costs of installing, operating and maintaining them.
- Overall, collisions and casualties have reduced; both in numbers and in severity (levels of trauma).
- There is a greater acceptance of average speed cameras over more traditional methods of speed enforcement, such as spot-speed (static) cameras and mobile speed enforcement.
- Based upon the strong evidence bases and the experiences of operating average speed cameras in Lancashire, it is highly likely that average speed cameras will continue to be used to reduce road traffic collisions and casualties through the automated enforcement of speed limits.
Since this report was commissioned, Lancashire has further invested in average speed technology by accessing funding from the Department for Transport and is currently rolling out a further 5 routes. Two of these sites impact upon Bentham as the routes are located on the A682 and A683. I understand that this funding was also available for North Yorkshire to bid for, but they did not.
Alternative Options to Enforcement
Enforcement is not the only method of reducing speed. Other methods which have been proven to reduce speeds and reduce community concerns regarding speed are schemes such as Community Road Watch, School Road Watch, Vehicle Activated Speed Signs and 20 mph limits.
Community Road Watch
Volunteers from the community work with local policing teams to conduct speed checks at locations where there are speeding / other road safety concerns for example using a mobile phone whilst driving. They use laser technology to capture speed levels, observations and record registration numbers. All sites must be formally risk assessed to ensure clear visibility and all volunteers suitable trained and wearing high visibility clothing. Any offending drivers are sent a warning letters advising them of the dangers of speeding and urging them to reduce speeds.
From liaising with the local policing team, community road watch was attempted to be set up a few years ago, however there were insufficient volunteers to implement a scheme in Bentham.
School Road Watch
Similar to community road watch but with school children outside schools. Health and Safety risk assessments are essential in relation to this and some schools may consider this to be prohibitive.
Vehicle Activated Speed Signs
Vehicle activated speed signs can be an effective tool in reducing vehicle speeds and reducing community concerns at a relatively small cost. North Yorkshire has a policy in place Town / Parish councils can purchase signs subject to them complying with the policy and their approval. At this time North Yorkshire will not fund the purchase or maintenance of such signs. These devices are not permitted to show the speed the vehicle is travelling, the signs supported by North Yorkshire council are signs which show the speed limit and if the speed exceeds this limit a warning sign ‘slow down’ activates. This policy provides clear guidance for the purchase and installation. Current signs available on the market can include solar powered and the ability to gather speed data and remote downloads.
Having data from such signs is highly beneficial as it enables speeds to be collated and if they are deemed to be unacceptably high, this can lead onto further enforcement options by the police as it is evidence based.
Estimated costs of one sign is currently around £3500 to £4000. Whilst this policy (2019) states the signs should be battery operated, it has been confirmed that they can now be powered by mains or solar powered electricity.
20 mph Limits
20mph limits have been introduced in many towns and villages in the UK and North Yorkshire including towns near Bentham. Such schemes can divide public opinion and the success as to whether they reduce vehicle speeds and casualties is varied. They are usually implemented in urban areas or villages and outside schools where 30mph speed limits previously existed. 20mph limits do not require additional speed calming measure like speed humps, unlike 20mph zones, however repeater signs and additional road markings are required. 20mph limits are generally difficult to enforce by the police as there are often parked cars on such roads and locations to safely conduct speed enforcement safely, this also includes conducting community road watch operations. The enforcement issue is often a significant area of concern for some members of the public. Town and Parish councils were consulted by North Yorkshire in recent years and on 4 September 2023 its was discussed at Bentham Town Council meeting where it was decided not to support 20mph limits.
Summary / Conclusion
Speed is clearly a concern for the community of Bentham. A total of 6821 people were injured on North Yorkshire roads with 174 being killed in the last 5 years. KSI’s have increased in North Yorkshire by +35% in the last year despite nationally there being a reduction of between -3% and -4 %. Motorcycle casualties are a key vulnerable group with our roads being attractive to motorcycle riders and anecdotal evidence that many are altering their routes due to the lack of speed enforcement. North Yorkshire currently only delivers mobile speed enforcement and does not support the use of fixed or average speed camera enforcement despite it being proven to reduce vehicle speed and casualties and to be cost effective and something that have general community support. It is recognised that installation of average speed camera systems is costly and will take time to install even if a policy change is decided upon. In the meantime, Bentham community is still concerned about speeding. Therefore, alternative solutions should be considered by Bentham Town Council.
North Yorkshire and Bentham Town Council owe it to the communities of Bentham and North Yorkshire and those who use our roads to make them as safe as possible. By not investing in average speed camera technology and other local non enforcement means, they are failing to protect road users, which… is… every one of us. We all use our roads.
I have therefore asked Bentham Town Council to consider the following:
- Formally contact the below key stakeholders to seek to influence them in reviewing North Yorkshire’s position in respect of speed enforcement to deliver average speed camera enforcement technologies.
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- North Yorkshire Mayor (Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner)
- North Yorkshire Police Chief Constable
- North Yorkshire Unitary Authority Chair
- Member of Parliament
- Bentham Town Council to purchase and install Vehicle Activated Speed Signs.
- Should the public be supportive, consider re-approaching the local policing team to form a Community Road Watch group and / or School Road Watch group.
- Continue to monitor the situation in respect of 20mph limits and should opinion change or develop, review in due course.
I hope that Bentham News readers find this letter informative, and ask that any readers who share my concerns regarding speeding and the current lack of initiatives available in Bentham at this time to address it, to contact Bentham Town Council before the meeting on 5 August 2024. The Town Clerk’s email address is:
townclerk@benthamtowncouncil.co.uk
Thank you to you, Bentham News for enabling me to promote this serious issue.
Yours faithfully
Debbie Howard