A speed camera in Plymouth is set to reclaim its crown as the one where most drivers across Devon and Cornwall are caught breaking the speed limit.
The camera on the A386 Alma Road in Plymouth was activated the most of any of the speed cameras in the two counties in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The road, despite being two lanes of dual carriageway, has a 30mph speed limit.
A Freedom of Information Request to Devon and Cornwall Police revealed that it lost top spot in 2019 to a camera on the A30, at the Roseworthy Dip in Cornwall.
But as of the end of October 2020, the Alma Road speed camera has seen almost double the number of activations of any other camera in the two counties so far this year – and the double the number it received in 2019.
The speed camera so far this year has caught an average of 28 motorists a day breaking the speed limit.
The figures show that as of October 31, the camera had been activated 8,658 times, with speed cameras on the A3064, Wolseley Road, A386, Outland Road, Plymouth and Glen Road, Plympton also in the top ten.
Four of the other six activations in the top ten were in the South Devon area – on the A385, Ashburton Road, Totnes, A3022, Torbay Road, Torquay, the A380 South Devon Link Road, and the A379, Dartmouth Road, Paignton.
The A30 at Fingle Glen had the third highest number of activations, while Cornwall’s only speed camera in the top 10 for 2020 is at the A390, Grampound.
The figures relate to the total number of activations at the site, and do include emergency vehicles.
Here are the top ten ’hot spots’ for catching people speeding and the number of activations the camera had last year:
1
A386, Alma Rd., Plymouth (speed on green)
8658
2
A385, Ashburton Road, Totnes
4530
3
A30, Fingle Glen
2533
4
A3022, Torbay Road, Torquay
2332
5
A3064, Wolseley Road, Plymouth
2181
6
A380, South Devon Link Road, South
2134
7
A379, Dartmouth Road, Paignton
2062
8
A390, Grampound
1925
9
A386, Outland Road, Plymouth
1905
10
Glen Road, Plympton
1808
By Daniel Clark, local democracy reporter