Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Director of Transportation and Highways

The Scrutiny Board considered a Briefing Note about the Average Speed Enforcement (ASE) Update which indicated that speeding was an issue across the City. ASE was not a revenue raising scheme but had been implemented for the safety of the citizens of Coventry.

The Scrutiny Board received a presentation on Average Speed Enforcement (ASE). Key points raised included;

·  Coventry City Council received many requests for road safety measures from residents and Members across the city, concerned about inappropriate vehicular speed. 

·  Speeding vehicles continued to be a significant contributory factor in recorded personal injury collisions in Coventry.  Although the overall collision rates were declining on Coventry’s road network, the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) remained high on major routes that carry high volumes of traffic. 

·  Over the past 3-year period (30/10/2017 to 29/10/2020), a total of 1560 personal injury collisions occurred on Coventry’s roads, and this resulted in 2043 casualties. 

·  In-depth analysis has revealed a significant number of personal injury collisions are attributed to inappropriate vehicular speeds.

·  333 people were killed or seriously injured over the past 3 years – 27 fatalities and 306 seriously injured.

·  In March 2018, Cabinet approved the use of Average Speed Enforcement (ASE) on London Road and Ansty Road. 

·  Because of the early positive results, additional schemes were installed on Binley Road and Henley Road in January 2020. The London Road extension went live in April 2020. There were 5 live ASE sites in Coventry at the time of the meeting.

·  In June 2020, the Cabinet Member for City Services had approved four additional ASE schemes:

o  Longford Road and part of Foleshill Road and Bedworth Road (from its junction with A444 to Ibstock Road)

o  Bell Green Road (from its junction with A444 to its junction with Henley Road)

o  Burnaby Road and The Scotchill (from its junction with Lockhurst Lane to its junction with Keresley Green Road); and

o  Sky Blue Way (from its junction with Lower Ford Street to its junction with A444). – This project was delayed due to technical difficulties, and it would be replaced with Foleshill Road (A444 to Harnall Lane West).  

·  Figures for the existing ASE schemes showed a decline in initial personal injury collisions.

The Scrutiny Board questioned officers and the Cabinet Member and received responses on the following issues including:-

·  There were plans to install ASE along the full length of the London Road and the implement a consistent speed limit of 30mph by summer 2021.

·  The categorisation of accident was dependent on the level of harm to individuals as well as the impact on the vehicle/surrounding area.

·  ASE appeared to help ease congestion by enabling a constant, steady flow of traffic.

·  Fine monies received went to West Midlands Police to pay for the administration of the scheme. There was no revenue benefit to the Council.

·  Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) were another road safety tool which could be used. The ones available in the City were rotated to areas which met the criteria. It was found the effects of VAS tended to be short term. 

·  The ASE cameras registered the speed, registration plate and a picture of driver.

·  20mph speed limits were still installed in the City, but could be challenging to enforce. If they were supported by physical measures, consideration had to be given to the proximity for residential properties as they could cause negative impacts for those living nearby. The service were investigating 20mph zones at school times as these tended to be more effective.

·  Members paid tribute to the hard work of officers which had gone into the installation of the ASE schemes.

Cllr P Hetherton, Cabinet Member for City Services, summed the item up and indicated that ASE was a positive news story, due to concerns about speeds throughout the City. Residents expect the Council to do something to address the issues, although expectations as to what could be implemented and enforced needed to be managed.

RESOLVED that the Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4):-

1)  Support the continued use of Average Speed Enforcement

2)  Recommend that

a.  Officers work to maintain consistency of speed limits in Average Speed Enforcement schemes

b.  The City Council aspire to implement ASE across the City