Drivers warned over new average speed cameras on Birmingham New Road
Drivers have been warned they are being watched after new average speed cameras were installed on one of the Black Country’s busiest roads.
The cameras have come into force on the Birmingham New Road as part of a road safety crackdown.
Motorists will face fines if they are clocked going over the speed limit on the route where there have long been calls for extra safety measures.
The cameras are in place near the junction with Priory Road.
It comes just weeks after two young brothers were killed in a horror crash further up the Birmingham New Road in Coseley.
They are the latest average speed cameras to go up in the region as part of a joint effort from Black Country councils and the police to try and tackle speeding on the busiest roads. They have also gone live on the A449 Stafford Road and Black Country New Road in Wolverhampton.
Dudley Council leader Qadar Zada said he hoped the new measures would make drivers think twice about speeding on the stretch.
He said: "We put this in place after having a number of meetings with local residents in that area who said they couldn't get across the road without putting themselves at risk. We want to support residents and make sure they are safe.
"The success of average speed cameras is that they measure speed over a period so people can't just duck and dive them.
"We are not saying people have to drive at 10mph. We want them to stick to the speed limit because that speed limit is safe. Drivers only need to make a small mistake for it to end in tragedy."
It is the first time any sort of speed cameras have been operating in the Black Country since 2013. Many old cameras remain in place at the side of roads but no longer work.
The action by councils and police has been welcomed but there have been concerns the changes do not go far enough to truly impact on speeding.
Wolverhampton MP Pat McFadden believes the whole of Birmingham New Road should be covered by average speed cameras rather than just a small section.
His comments followed the deaths of Sanjay Singh, aged 10, and his 23-month-old brother Pawanveer in March.
