An AI camera designed to detect dangerous U-turns has been installed at a hotspot on the Hayle Bypass in Cornwall, a location where one person has died and others have been seriously injured. The camera is the first of its kind in the UK to spot U-turns and is currently in use on the Hayle Bypass section of the A30.
It has been installed by National Highways in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police and Cornwall Council, all members of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership. The installation follows a serious incident last week in which a coach driver made the risky manoeuvre. See that story and video here.
National Highways implemented a U-turn ban on this stretch of road in 2021 following a series of serious collisions and numerous complaints from local road users. Since 2014 there have been 10 collisions as a direct result of U-turns on this route. These collisions have resulted in one death, six people seriously injured and a further 13 with slight injuries.
Multiple drivers attempted simultaneous U-turns across solid white lines in heavy summer congestion last month, causing oncoming traffic to drop to a sudden emergency stop. In 2021, a transit van executed a mid-queue turnaround across solid double white lines, narrowly missing oncoming vehicles. In 2018 dashcam footage caught an ASDA delivery vehicle completing a U-turn directly adjacent to a newly erected warning sign following a prior fatal crash on that stretch. See that story and video here.
Adrian Leisk, head of road safety at Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “While a U-turn may seem like an innocent manoeuvre, the collision history on this particular stretch of road shows just how dangerous they can be.
“Despite the U-turn ban and prominent signage, a small minority of road users continue to make dangerous decisions on this route, which is why these cameras have become necessary.
“Devon and Cornwall Police will not hesitate to take action against anyone caught making an illegal U-turn. Please, don’t risk it.”
Although signage has been installed by National Highways along the route, informing road users of the U-turn ban, there have also been reports of several near misses on the road, some resulting in prosecution via Devon and Cornwall Police’s Op Snap, which allows the public to submit video evidence of road traffic offences.
Oliver Dash, senior road safety engineer at National Highways, said: “Safety is our first priority, and the vast majority of drivers who use our roads every day are sensible and respectful. But sadly there are some road users who are putting themselves and others at risk.
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“We understand waiting in queues during periods of congestion can be frustrating, but carrying out U-turns on a road such as the Hayle bypass is incredibly dangerous.
“We’re employing the camera primarily to monitor traffic movements and manoeuvres. Data will be available to our Vision Zero South West partners and we hope this monitoring initiative will deter drives from making U-turns as we work towards reducing the number of collisions in this location.”
Cllr Dan Rogerson, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for transport, said: “Earlier this year we adopted our new Road Safety Strategy with the goal of eliminating all deaths on Cornwall roads by 2050, and tackling known accident blackspots like this will help us achieve that aim.
"Every accident that happens on our roads has a personal cost, it has a social cost and it has an economic cost, and we will continue to work with our partners and to utilise new technology to tackle the problem."
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Hayle Bypass Gets AI Camera to Spot Dangerous U-Turns