THOUSANDS of motorists are continuing to speed on Teesside's roads, despite an increase in cameras and warning signs.

An estimated 55,000 drivers are flouting the law by ignoring pleas to slow down.

Members of the Cleveland Safety Camera Partnership comprising Cleveland Police and council safety officers say they are "still deeply concerned that motorists are continuing to endanger their own lives and the lives of others through excessive speeding".

Speed cameras were introduced on 33 Teesside roads in April 2000.

Renewing his appeal to motorists to slow down, partnership spokesman Mick Bennett, a former traffic police inspector, said: "Each road has been specifically selected because the collision and casualty data shows these roads have an unacceptable speed-related casualty history.

"All we are asking is for drivers to stick to the speed limit. Every time they see a camera warning sign, this should be a reminder to them that people have been killed and seriously injured on these roads."

Besides the cameras, the roads have high reflective warning signs alerting motorists to the presence of cameras.

The slow down campaign has seen adverts on the backs of buses and messages broadcast on local radio.

Results from data gathered prior to the introduction of speed cameras showed 121,999 drivers were flouting speed limits on the 33 monitored roads every day.

The safety partnership is renewing its appeals to motorists to slow down, to reduce the risk of collisions.

There has been a 17 per cent reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on monitored roads since cameras were introduced, a 44 per cent drop in personal injury collisions.

Mr Bennett said: "It is encouraging to see that in two years the number of vehicles exceeding the speed limit on these roads has more than halved.

"However, it is also very disappointing to see that more than 55,000 vehicles a day are still travelling above the limit and therefore increasing the risk of being involved in a collision."

Details of the monitored roads are regularly supplied to the Press and are also available on www.clevelandsafetycameras.co.uk