A scheme to make speeding motorists pay for more speed cameras is already reaping benefits.

Elaine Beckett, Essex County Council's road safety officer for Braintree, spoke at a meeting of the Braintree Division Police and Community Consultative Group on Thursday.

A two-year trial involving the increased use of safety cameras in Essex began in April this year.

Over a period of 12 to 18 months there will be more fixed and mobile cameras on the roads, financed by fines paid by speeding motorists.

Mrs Beckett said: "We are putting in more cameras to stop accidents, which is why we are particularly targeting known accident blackspots.

"Nationally, ten people are killed every day on our roads and road traffic accidents cost us £300 million each year."

Previous evidence shows safety cameras can reduce speed and red light related crashes by up to 50 per cent.

As a direct result of the increased use of safety cameras police expect at least 78 injury crashes to be prevented in the period while the trial is taking place.

Mrs Beckett added: "We are reaping the benefits of the scheme already. Just recently we were using some of the new cameras in Spa Road, Witham."

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