Huge success for UK's longest speed trap

• 28.5-mile stretch digital cameras
• Cameras record average speed along A77
• Speeding offences down 87%

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The UK's longest speed trap has reduced the number of speeding motorists by almost 90%.

The 28.5-mile stretch of the A77 in Ayrshire was Scotland’s first ‘average speed’ safety camera system (SPECs) when it was installed in July. Since then there has been an 87% drop in speeding motorists, with just 21 offenders caught on camera during the months of August through to October.

Chief Inspector Paul Fleming of Strathclyde Police said: ‘The purpose of the cameras is to encourage drivers not to speed on this road where there have been so many tragic crashes in recent years.The very low number of offenders shows clearly that the message is being taken on board by drivers.’

SPECs is a digital camera system which records a vehicle’s average speed, as opposed to Gatso speed cameras, which provide a snapshot of a driver’s speed.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Executive said: 'The "deterrent first – enforcement second" philosophy of the SPECS system has been borne out by these initial figures for the A77, with a significant drop in excessive speed and a low number of violations being recorded.

'There is a clear link between excessive speed and the nature and severity of accidents. These early results are encouraging.'