Criteria for mobile speed camera siting

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/25/008162/Q

Version Date: 28/05/2025

I would like to know the criteria for siting a mobile camera on the a30 westbound at Bodmin.

The Alliance Operations Department has provided the following information.

The criteria for siting a mobile camera on the a30 westbound at Bodmin is described as part of Devon & Cornwall Police speed enforcement strategy and is specifically referenced by number 3 and 5 below.

All Speed Enforcement site locations used by Speed Enforcement operatives are subject to a site risk assessment which is reviewed and authorised by the Speed Enforcement Geographic Supervisor before speed enforcement activity begins. This is to be distinguished from Roads Policing Officer speed enforcement activity whereby persons recorded driving at excess speed are stopped and reported at the roadside.

Speed enforcement is a critical component of the Safe System and road safety management, ensuring compliance with traffic laws and reducing the risk of fatal collisions. Excessive or inappropriate speed contributes to one in every three road traffic fatalities worldwide, making it a global concern. Enforcement is necessary because driver education alone cannot achieve compliance; without actual enforcement, there is no deterrent effect to prevent speeding.

Effective enforcement not only reduces road casualties but also contributes to wider policing priorities, such as crime prevention and counterterrorism. The presence of traffic enforcement increases the general deterrence effect, influencing driver behaviour positively by raising the perceived risk of detection. Additionally, enforcement strategies, when combined with effective penalties, maximise the impact on fatality levels without requiring harsher sanctions.

Speed enforcement is essential for maintaining safer roads, preventing unnecessary deaths, and supporting broader public safety objectives.

To maximise deterrence and improve compliance, a multi-layered enforcement approach by Devon & Cornall Police is as follows:

1. Traditional Police Enforcement – Targeted manual enforcement at high-risk locations.
2. Fixed & Average Speed & Red Light Cameras – Installed at safety critical locations to ensure continuous monitoring.
3. Mobile Safety Cameras – Deployed in high-risk areas based on data-led intelligence (Speed Detection Officer Primary Tasking).
4. Community Concern Enforcement – Public engagement initiatives like Community Speed Watch programmes.
5. Randomised Mobile Enforcement – Increasing the unpredictability of enforcement to enhance deterrence (Speed Detection Officer Secondary Tasking).
6. Covert Enforcement – Deploying unmarked enforcement vehicles for high-risk areas.

The siting a mobile camera on the A30 westbound at Bodmin is set at number 3 and 5 of the above strategy. The location has been included and subject of specific enforcement requests by National Highways and therefore was subject of Primary Tasking.

Outside of primary tasking, the location is included as part of randomised mobile enforcement strategy and is subject of Secondary Tasking. Mobile speed detection is carried out on various sections of the A30 due the high numbers of collisions on this road, which can be seen on www.crashmap.co.uk.