Three new safety camera vans
launched in North Yorkshire

Drivers in North Yorkshire are being warned to slow down as three new safety camera vans are introduced on the county's roads.
Following the success of a safety camera pilot scheme, there will now be four safety camera vehicles in operation to tackle speeding and to road reduce deaths and injuries.
Julia Mulligan (pictured), Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, who is supporting the move, said: "Alongside anti-social behaviour, speeding has been the single biggest issue that residents have raised with me over the last few months."
"Tackling speeding is central to improving quality of life and maintaining a safe North Yorkshire.  We need to make sure we respond to local community needs and reduce serious incidents on the road. I have asked the Force to look again at the way they and their partners deal with speeding to make it easier for residents to raise concerns, and easier for the police to respond to those issues. This is a crucial step in putting the people of North Yorkshire first."
Assistant Chief Constable Iain Spittal, said: "The results from the pilot scheme fully justify the expansion of our mobile safety camera capability."
"We have witnessed some extreme offences brought before the courts, supported by indisputable evidence captured by the high-tech equipment used in the safety camera van."
He added: "These motorists have been given heavy fines, lost their licences and, in some cases, their livelihoods.
"These are the lucky ones, they returned home to their families. Some, tragically and needlessly, do not."
From July 2011 to February 2013 over 26,000 violations have been processed, these include:
368 motorists including car drivers and bikers have been summonsed to court for excessive speeds.
3,200 motorists have been offered fixed penalty tickets
More than 21,000 have been offered a speed awareness course.
In 2010, 20 motorcyclists lost their lives on the county's roads, in 2011, 11 died and in 2012 five died. 
The force has recorded a 50% reduction in speed related fatal collisions during 2011, from 14 in 2010 to 7 in 2011.
During the first 12 months of the mobile safety camera pilot, fatal and serious injury collisions have reduced by 46% at identified sites. Fatal and serious injury collisions where speed is a contributory factor have reduced by 59%.
A speed awareness course is offered to first time offenders who meet certain criteria. This is an educational alternative to receiving a speeding conviction and penalty points on your driving licence.
The safety camera vans will be self-funding. A £35 levy is taken from the £93 speed awareness course fee and used to fund the running costs of the vans.
Any excess levies after the running costs have been deducted will be ring-fenced to fund future road safety projects which will be identified by the "95 Alive" York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership.
The vans will be deployed to routes identified through intelligence and collision data as well as those highlighted by local communities who are blighted by speeding motorists.
These routes will be regularly reviewed and updated with the latest intelligence and collision data.
Members of the public can put forward their concerns about speeding in their local area through the speed management protocol. A speed report form is available from your local council office, police station or can be downloaded from the North Yorkshire County Council website www.northyorks.gov.uk/roadsafety