Average speed cameras to tackle “decade of tragedy” on A30 between Sherborne and Yeovil
Speed cameras are set to be installed on the A30 between Sherborne and Yeovil after years of serious crashes, including six deaths
Average speed cameras are set to be installed along the A30 between Sherborne and Yeovil, following years of fatal accidents and persistent warnings that the road is dangerously fast and difficult to police.
The £1m scheme, funded by the Department for Transport, won overwhelming backing at Dorset Council’s cabinet meeting this week.
The four-mile dual carriageway, running past Over Compton and Babylon Hill, has recorded six deaths and more than 60 injuries in the past decade.
Vehicles have frequently been clocked at more than 100mph, even after the speed limit was reduced from 70mph to 60mph late last year.
A post-implementation survey found only a modest reduction in speeds, with more than a third of drivers still exceeding the limit.
Adjustments have already been made to the Loscombe Corner junction to cut the risk of hazardous turning manoeuvres.
Cllr Jon Andrews, the Sherborne councillor who leads on highways, said: “Given the deaths and serious injuries on the road, something needed to be done,”
Other councillors described the A30 as a magnet for dangerous driving, with Cllr Les Fry saying the road had long been a favourite for “car enthusiasts”, otherwise known as “boy-racers”.
Meanwhile, Cllr Robin Legg told the meeting he had his own issues with the road after he was shunted from behind 40 years ago, writing off his car and leaving him with a lasting neck injury.
Chickerell councillor Simon Clifford recalled being sent, on his first day as a trainee journalist, to interview the parents of a 10-year-old girl from Over Compton who had been killed on the road. He has since retired but fatalities on the road remain.
Installation work is expected to begin later this year.