Average Speed Cameras

Following a meeting with community representatives and the local MP in December, Surrey Police and Surrey County Council officers have considered again the desire for Average Speed Cameras to enforce the existing 30mph speed limit in Compton. In Surrey, there is an agreed “Policy and Criteria for the Use of Safety Cameras (Speed and Red Light Cameras)” which has been approved by both Surrey County Council and Surrey Police. An important principle of this policy is that enforcement cameras are considered as a last resort, only if highway engineering measures to manage speeds would be infeasible. Safety cameras are also prioritised at sites that have suffered an ongoing history of collisions and where speeds have been measured and found to be excessive. 

• Surrey County Council has developed engineering proposals to manage speeds in support of a new lower 20mph speed limit, alongside facilities for pedestrians and measures, to improve Compton as a place. Therefore, in accordance with the agreed policy, a camera enforcement scheme would not be supported because the engineering scheme is feasible and likely to be effective in addressing the concerns over traffic speeds. 
  
  
• In the last three years to the end of October 2024 (the most recent three years for which complete data is available), there has been one collision resulting in serious injury and one collision resulting in slight injury. Although any one collision is one too many, when compared to other sites across Surrey this does not represent a particular high level of collisions. It is acknowledged that there will be some other collisions resulting in damage only that are not systematically recorded, however for the purposes of comparison with other locations we rely on collisions resulting in injury (which are generally recorded by the police).
  
  
• In February 2023, one-week duration speed surveys were conducted at six locations on the B3000 Compton. This found that the mean average speeds for the western half of the village were all well within the existing 30 mph speed limit. Although this does not mean that there isn’t any speeding on this stretch (as with most roads there will be higher speeds by some drivers from time to time), it shows that the level of speeding is not that bad compared to many other sites across Surrey that have a much greater endemic speeding problem. Therefore, enforcement of the existing 30 mph speed limit on this stretch is unlikely to have any tangible impact to the speeds noted (as most drivers are already travelling within the 30mph speed limit). Although there are higher speeds to the eastern end of the village past the playing field and through Compton Common, this section is not built up residentially and of note there has been only one slight injury collision in the last five years (at the junction with the Avenue in 2020).

To conclude, based on the data, Surrey County Council and Surrey RoadSafe do not support the use of average speed cameras at this location because engineering measures in support of a lower 20 mph limit are viable and would provide a more effective solution to the concerns raised. Also, the number of road collisions resulting in injury and level of speeding would not result in camera enforcement being a priority at this location in comparison to other sites across Surrey.  

What Speed Surveys have been conducted in Compton?

In January 2023, Surrey County Council conducted a speed survey along The Street, between the B3000 roundabout and Withies Lane. The survey indicated that the built-up part of the village, from the B3000 roundabout to Spiceall, the average speeds are recoded at 28-31mph which shows there is generally good compliance with the 30mph speed limit in this section of road. However, it is acknowledged that speeds begin to increase towards the New Pond Road end of Compton. The average speed recorded during the survey between Polstead Lane and Withies Lane were between 32-35mph. 

Please note the average speed is the value that is looked at when considering road safety measures including average speed cameras.

Additionally, a speed survey on Down Lane was conducted in December 2024. This survey showed that average mean speeds from the junction with The Street to The Watts Gallery were between 21-25mph. However, speeds did start to increase further up Down Lane to 29-30mph.