East Safety Camera Unit announces summer short term deployment in Scottish Borders

30/06/2021

Safety Cameras Scotland has launched a summer staycation campaign to influence driver behaviour and encourage everyone to “stay within the speed limits this staycation”. Summer driving hazards such as the presence of more vulnerable road users will be highlighted, while also emphasising the penalties of driving above the speed limit, in a social media and direct marketing campaign.

Safety cameras aim to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured by encouraging improved driver behaviour and speed limit compliance.

In conjunction with the staycation campaign, the East Safety Camera Unit will commence a short term deployment on A708 at St Mary’s Loch, Cappercleuch in the Scottish Borders, on 1 July 2021, for a period of one month. As this route is particularly popular with both tourists and motorcyclists, it is expected that there will be an increase in traffic here over the summer period. In recent weeks, there have also been several collisions on this road involving motorcyclists, where speed was a factor.

East Safety Camera Unit Manager, Michael Grant “Short term deployments allow us to respond to emerging issues or changes in traffic behaviour for a period of one month. Working with colleagues from Police Scotland and Scottish Borders Council, the A708 at St Mary’s Loch was identified as a location that would benefit from a short term deployment of the safety camera van, due to an expected increase in visitors to the area and a number of recent collisions involving motorcyclists, which were speed related. We encourage all motorists to stay within the speed limits to keep all road users safe this summer”

Inspector Andrew Gibb, Lothian and Borders Road Policing “Sadly in recent weeks there have been several collisions involving motorcyclists where speed was a contributory factor. Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable on our roads, therefore they must make sure that they are travelling at an appropriate speed within the speed limit. Losing control when travelling at excessive speed is one of the most common causes of collisions involving motorcyclists and the consequences can be fatal”.