A major new analysis of road safety data has confirmed that speed cameras across Devon and Cornwall are delivering significant reductions in fatal and serious road traffic collisions.

The statistics mark a notable success for enforcement efforts and a milestone in local road safety strategy.

Camera shy

New figures show that average speed cameras installed on the A38 between Dobwalls and Bodmin have contributed to a 45% reduction in collisions resulting in death or serious injury in the five years since their installation in 2020, compared with the five years prior.

Between 2015 and 2019, 22 such collisions were recorded; from June 2020 to May 2025, that figure dropped to just 12.

The data, released this month by the Vision Zero South West partnership — a collaboration of local authorities, police, National Highways and emergency services — shows that these reductions are part of a sustained safety improvement on one of the South West’s most notorious road corridors.

Officials described the results as “dramatic and sustained,” illustrating not only a decrease in serious crashes, but a shift in driving behaviour across the network.

On track

At the heart of the strategy has been the expansion of average speed camera systems, which track drivers’ average speeds over long stretches rather than at a single point.

These systems are credited with promoting consistent compliance with posted limits.

Across Devon and Cornwall, average speed schemes are reporting more than 99% compliance, meaning almost all motorists are now driving within safe limits.

Road safety experts say these improvements are not isolated to the A38.

The partnership’s broader use of technology, including high-tech fixed cameras and mobile enforcement units, appears to be changing driver behaviour more widely.

Recent trials of AI-enhanced camera technology have also contributed, with such systems detecting and helping reduce offences like mobile phone use and seatbelt non-compliance, known risk factors in serious collisions.

Real change

Local officials have welcomed the findings, but emphasised that the figures represent real human impacts, not just statistics.

Adrian Leisk, Head of Road Safety for Devon and Cornwall Police and Chair of Vision Zero South West, highlighted the tragic toll road collisions take on families and communities, stressing that even one fewer fatality is a victory.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez echoed that sentiment, noting that road safety efforts now extend beyond speed enforcement to include education, technological innovation and preventive campaigns.

The partnership has invested in world-leading projects aimed at addressing risk factors such as distraction and lack of restraint use, and funds from enforcement initiatives are being reinvested to support ongoing safety improvements.

Sweet and sour

Public response has been mixed, typical for such measures, but community safety advocates have praised the results and urged continued expansion of average speed enforcement on other high-risk routes.

As Devon and Cornwall push toward Vision Zero targets, aiming to halve the number of people killed or seriously injured by 2030, the latest data provides clear evidence that speed cameras can play a central role in reshaping driver behaviour and making roads safer.