NEW cameras at traffic lights will clock motorists who run red lights and drive over the speed limit.

Cheshire Police will install new safety cameras at junctions across the county, which will be able to detect vehicles going through red lights or speeding.

Drivers caught breaking the speed limit by the cameras face a minimum £100 fine and three points on their license – although courts can issue higher fines and disqualify motorists.

Five new cameras are being installed in Cheshire West and Chester – at the junction of Dalefords Lane and Chester Road in Sandiway, on the A5117 in Elton Green, on the A54 at Kelsall Hill and in Chester on the A41 and at the junction of Parkgate Road and Cheyney Road.

There are also plans to install similar cameras in Warrington, Halton and Cheshire East in the coming months.

Brian Rogers, Cheshire Road Safety Group implementation manager, said: “Far too many people have died and been seriously injured as a result of collisions on Cheshire roads in recent times.

“Cheshire Road Safety Group was set up in April 2011 to reduce the number of people killed or injured on the county’s roads by encouraging greater compliance of speed limits through the operation and maintenance of speed and safety cameras.

“Supported by contributing partners Cheshire Constabulary, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and the four local authorities in the county – Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cheshire East Council, Halton Borough Council and Warrington Borough Council – CRSG is investing in new technologies and innovation to make our roads safer.

“Junctions in which vehicles and pedestrians come to a road from different directions are particularly dangerous, and it is vital that motorists travel at an appropriate speed – one which enables them to stop safely should the colour of traffic lights change, or a pedestrian step into the road.

“We hope that the new generation cameras will deter motorists from speeding and going through red lights at junctions and therefore reduce the number and severity of collisions.”

Speeding is a contributing factor in nearly a quarter of deaths on the roads, with more than twice as many people dying on Cheshire’s roads last year – a total of 41 – than they did in 2017.

There have already been a number of fatal crashes in the county in the first month of 2019.

Cheshire police and crime commissioner David Keane added: “Road safety is one of my key priorities, and I am committed to working with partners to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on Cheshire roads and motorways.

“With an increased number of serious incidents and fatalities on our roads in recent times, these cameras are needed more than ever.

“Law-abiding drivers often report to me their shock and frustration at the number of drivers who jump red lights and break the speed limit, selfishly gambling with other people’s lives as well as their own.

“One death is too many, and I hope that the new cameras will lead to more motorists adhering to the speed limits and driving responsibly – for both their own safety and the safety of others.

“It is important that people across Cheshire support efforts to reduce the amount of collisions in the county, as all drivers and riders have a part to play in making our roads safer.”