AVERAGE speed cameras designed to cut accidents on one of East Lancashire's most dangerous roads have gone live.

The notorious B6232 Grane Road, which runs from Belthorn to Haslingden, has seen two people killed and 118 injured, 13 seriously, in the last seven years.

To combat the problem, road safety bosses have installed average speed cameras along the five-mile stretch to carry out enforcement on speeding drivers between junction five of the M65 at Guide to the A56 at Haslingden.

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Michael Murray, chairman of the Haslingden Residents' Association, who has campaigned for 20 years to reduce speed, said the road had been 'catastrophic' over the last few years.

He said: "The volume of the traffic and the speed of the traffic is the main problem.

"We've been calling for many years for something to be done about this, so this scheme is welcome in hopefully making the road safer."

Inspector Kevin Evans said the road had been 'one of the worst' in Lancashire for speeding and collisions.

He said: "The main aim of the cameras is to reduce speed on the road.

"The average speed cameras systems very much change driver behaviour over a prolonged period rather than static cameras where motorists just tend to slow down for the camera, then speed up again.

"This is over an almost five-mile stretch and it will keep the speed below the speed limit for the whole of the road.

"A number of cameras read the number plates as they are passing and the average speed between the cameras is calculated rather than the speed passing the individual camera."

Rhiannon Leeds, co-ordinator of the Lancashire Road Safety Partnership, said: "The reason we've chose this road is based on the number of people killed or seriously injured but also to tackle speed offenders.

"By reducing the speed, this road will be a much nicer place to be and the traffic will flow better."

Mark Griffiths, a Belthorn resident, said: "There is a particular problem at the junction for Belthorn on Grane Road, as with the speeding and the flow of the traffic, it is dangerous for children going with their parents to the school."

Ted Robbins, of BBC Radio Lancashire, who witnessed an accident on Grane Road, said: "It's an incredibly dangerous road and I was almost the first car to pull up at the scene of a terrible accident a couple of years ago where a young man died.

"Cars are such dangerous things and any action to reduce speed and improve safety has to be welcomed."

The Grane Road is the fifth of eight routes across the county to be enforced, while installation is on-going or about to begin on the remaining roads throughout the county.

The Lancashire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) passed the scheme in January and announced the chosen routes.

It decided to adopt average speed cameras as they have been proved to cut speeds and improve safety in other parts of the country.

The cameras will use number plate recognition technology to detect vehicles and calculate their average speed by measuring the time taken to travel between fixed points of a known distance apart.

Average speed check signage will be used to inform drivers that they are entering an average speed control zone.

The introduction of the system is intended to influence driver behaviour and ensure that motorists comply with the set limits on roads, resulting in a safer environment for all road users.

Anyone detected breaching the speed limits will be given the opportunity to attend a speed awareness course to learn about the dangers of speeding, accept a conditional offer of a fixed penalty (currently £100 and 3 penalty points) or for higher speeds the matter may be referred to court.