A county once renowned for its lack of speed cameras has embraced the technology to cut accidents and catch speeding motorists. Joe Willis reports.

AT 3,000sq miles, North Yorkshire is England’s largest county, stretching from the North Sea in the east to the moors and valleys of the Dales in the west.

Within the county there are 6,000 miles of roads, which are policed by about 1,500 officers.

This seems a lot until you consider that neighbouring Cleveland Police has a similar number of officers to cover only 230sq miles.

It also worth remembering that many of North Yorkshire’s officers are based in the more urban areas of the county, meaning the chance of bumping into a bobby armed with a speed gun is rare.

It is a situation the police have been aware of for a number of years. However, when they previously inquired about installing fixed speed cameras, they were told that, according to the regulations, there were no suitable locations.

Mobile speed cameras were also considered but never used, meaning that North Yorkshire was the only county in the country not to employ either device to catch speeding drivers.

Many motorists in the county were no doubt aware of this. And although North Yorkshire’s roads are far from lawless, certain routes have become notorious for bad behaviour, particularly from motorcyclists who relish the scenic, twisting roads of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales.

However, from July 1, road users with a heavy right foot or wrist have probably been a little more cautious about exceeding the speed limit. The reason for this is North Yorkshire Police’s new safety camera van, which is described as “all-singing, all-dancing” by Inspector Dave Brown, head of roads policing.

He said the van, which has been leased for a six-month pilot, is already having an impact, with police using a three-pronged approach to make the most of the vehicle.

Firstly, the van is being used at 16 accident sites where speed is thought to be a contributing factor.

Insp Brown said: “We are hoping to see a significant reduction in casualties.”

Police are also using the van at 64 sites where communities said there was a problem with speed – with the concerns being validated by analysis.

Insp Brown said: “We have not measured it yet, but we have got anecdotal evidence that suggests speed is coming down in some of these locations.

“The third issue is the motorcycle problem we have in North Yorkshire.

“One of the reasons the pilot got the goahead was the camera van’s ability to record the speed of an approaching motorcycle, take a side image of the rider and then a rear view of the bike’s numberplate.

“We have got a significant issue with motorcycle deaths – far out of proportion with the number of vehicles on the roads – and we are desperately trying to get it down.

“One of the big benefits we are looking for is a reduction in motorcyclists killed and seriously injured.”

IT is an aim that is entirely understandable.

While projects such as the 95 Alive campaign – which involves council officials and the emergency services working together to reduce accidents – have helped to dramatically reduce the number of motorists killed or seriously injured on the county’s roads, 20 bikers died last year in North Yorkshire, seven more than in 2001.

Many of the deaths took place on routes popular with motorcyclists, including the A684 through the Dales and the B1257 from Stokesley to Helmsley.

The camera van is not working in isolation.

Council officials have trawled through accident data to suggest suitable locations for its deployment. A list of its probable whereabouts is then handed to the media every week.

Insp Brown said the idea was to keep motorists guessing about where it might be.

He said: “We are hoping that it will have an impact on driver behaviour.

“We are not lying – it is not smoke and mirrors, but at the end of the day we’ve only got one vehicle and we are covering 3,000sq miles so we have to play pretty smart.”

He said that the number of speeders caught – more than 1,800 in the first month – and the driving awareness courses they were subsequently sent on, was creating a “big buzz”.

He said: “My guess is that it has already proved its worth.”

If the pilot scheme does, indeed, prove successful, Insp Brown will be asking for more vans and more resources to run them, possibly paid for by a contribution from the £93 speeding drivers pay to attend the awareness courses.

He said: “Drivers would then have a real fear of being caught and that would have a considerable influence on driver behaviour.”

Although late to the speed camera party, North Yorkshire is keen to make up for lost time.