Thompsons Solicitors Borders office In Galashiels welcomes the news that Police Scotland are set to deploy a mobile speed camera unit at a notorious accident black spot in the region this summer. This was first reported by The Border Telegraph on 16th June 2022.
As we understand it, Police Scotland will station it’s mobile East Safety Camera Unit at St Mary’s Loch at Capperclueuch for one month in the peek summer season which started last week on Friday 17th June. It is hoped that its station there will promote road user responsibility and speed limit compliance. We understand that Scottish Borders Council and Police Scotland agreed that the deployment of the camera van at this location would be beneficial and that data would be collected to allow assessments to be made and respond also to emerging issues of changes in traffic behaviour. We agree, and this measure cannot come soon enough.
St Mary’s Loch and the surrounding countryside provide some of the most scenic, picturesque views and vantage points in the whole of the Scottish Borders and the A708 is the access road to this stunning area of southern Scotland. This beautiful area is quite rightly a mecca for tourists, day trippers from the local area and vulnerable road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists who all should be able to enjoy this fabulous area; the scenery and the lochs and glens it offers without fear of being involved in an accident. The increased popularity however, brings increased traffic in summer months and sadly increased chances of road traffic accidents with excessive speed being the main cause of loss of control. This road has been the scene of some utterly devastating and fatal road traffic accidents over the years. Many, many lives have been lost in dreadful, unnecessary accidents on this road and we have seen the devastating effects of this first hand in our Road Traffic Unit within Thompsons Borders Office and our Specialist Road Accident Department in Edinburgh who regularly deal with the fall out and catastrophic injury cases from accidents on this stretch of road. Lives have been lost, families have been devastated forever and people have suffered life changing injuries due to this road and the conditions on it which allow for risks to be taken and speed limits to be ignored.
We can only welcome any measure that can promote road safety and driver behaviour to encourage speed limit compliance in an effort to make the road safer this summer. Every little helps, and we welcome this short term measure. Time will tell whether any further action will need to be taken to actively encourage and promote driver responsibility on this stretch of road for the longer term to further cut accidents and ultimately save lives.
