Keeping You Safe
What does road safety mean to you? Your answer may be different depending on whether you walk, drive or cycle. Whichever way you use our roads, our aim is to ensure that you do so in safety, with little or no risk of you or anybody else being injured or worse killed on the roads of Merseyside.
Whilst ultimately it’s up to you, the road user to make the right decisions, we as a road safety partnership can influence the outcomes in a number of ways.
Keeping you safe through Enforcement
Safety camera vans and static safety cameras are deployed across Merseyside. They aim to influence how drivers use our roads and the speed they choose to drive at. They are deployed to locations where there is an identified risk to safety due to excessive and inappropriate speed.
Police officers from Merseyside Police also conduct enforcement which is intelligence-led, based upon collision data and local complaints. We also have a number of special constables and sergeants in our Safer Roads Team who can respond to complaints and provide a roadside presence to enforce and deter offenders. This way we can target a range of offences, ranging from speeding to mobile phone use, pavement parking to anti-social driving.
We believe in using education to effect a longer-term behaviour change in drivers and rely upon the National Driver Offender Rehabilitation Scheme courses (NDORS) to educate the many thousands of offenders detected every year. However many drivers are still prosecuted by way of fixed penalty or by courts.
Engagement & Education
We visit schools, companies and public events to talk to as many people as possible about road safety. We’ve got lots of resources that can help support every type of road user. So, are you:
- A head-of-year teacher concerned about the safety of your teenage pupils?
- A fleet or personnel manager responsible for the safety of your driving staff?
- A company director suffering from reputational damage caused by your drivers’ actions?
- A local community group worried about road safety in your area?
- Any person interested in road safety and wanting to make a difference?
Having a dedicated social media presence means we can communicate with people right across Merseyside. Not only can we spread the word about collision hotspots and new initiatives, but we can have direct dialogue with the people we’re trying to help.
Engineering
Sometimes, the solution to keeping you safe isn’t through enforcement, education or engagement. The answer lies with the local authority to ensuring the road environment itself is not the cause or a contributory factor. We endeavour to make sure that it is fit for purpose and safe for everyone to use.
We work with local authority engineers when a road safety problem has been raised to find the best way of addressing the issue. In Merseyside, every new construction project on our network has the safety of all road users at the forefront of its plan. Concerns are listened to and inputs invited from vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. After all, road safety is everyone’s responsibility!
Safety Cameras
Across Merseyside, the Safer Roads Unit is responsible for the operation of a range of safety cameras and the administration of the National Driver Offender Rehabilitation Scheme (NDORS) courses.
In Merseyside there are:
37 fixed speed camera sites
These locations were selected, based on the number of road casualties there and in the local areas
13 fixed red light/‘Speed On Green’ sites
Junctions where there is a high risk or prevalence of collision due contravention of the red traffic signals and excessive and inappropriate speed
90 sites used by our mobile safety camera vans
Selected based upon casualty data and local complaints (where sites are suitable)
Why we need Safety Cameras
- Safety Cameras play a vital part in our strategy to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads
- They contribute to the safety of local communities, particularly vulnerable road users such as the elderly, children and the disabled
- They educate drivers and influence how they use our roads in the future
- Safety Cameras supplement the enforcement by Merseyside Police officers and the work of the Road Safety Partnership and local communities to create safe environments for people to live and work
Safety Cameras are just one of a number of measures we employ for keeping you safe – local authorities employ speed bumps, 20 mph limits and other physical measures to control the speeds of vehicles. The continuing need for these measures is underlined by the number of collisions that occur on our roads every year in which speed is the main or a contributory factor.
In 2018, 51,103 drivers were detected driving at an excessive speed by our cameras. 4000 drivers were detected after failing to conform to a red traffic signal. The vast majority of those drivers underwent a national course (Speed Awareness or What’s Driving Us) where they were educated about the consequences of speeding and poor driving standards as an alternative to penalty points and as fine.
There are national guidelines that determine which drivers are eligible for a course and which ones are dealt with by way of fixed penalty or court. On Merseyside, the operation of our cameras and the administration of the courses is funded by the fees paid by offending drivers. These fees also enable the Road Safety Partnership to deliver innovative schemes, aimed at improving the safety of vulnerable road users across Merseyside.
We are constantly looking for new sites for our mobile safety camera vans to operate, in response to complaints from residents and emerging casualty issues. Not every road is suitable for a van to deploy to and often other measures such as police enforcement or a community-led speed watch scheme may be more appropriate.
Camera Locations in Merseyside
Wondering where you might come across safety cameras in Merseyside? Here’s a list! The ‘static sites’ are where safety cameras are fixed, and ‘mobile sites’ are where safety camera vans are scheduled to be.
Check back every so often for updates. Mobile safety camera vans change their locations if there have been complaints about speed from the public, if there has been a road traffic collision, or if people are at risk in an area for some other reason.
STATIC SITES
Scotland Road (Northbound) Liverpool, L5
Liverpool
30mph
Scotland Road (Southbound) Liverpool, L5
Liverpool
30mph
West Derby Road/Farnworth Street (Westbound) Liverpool, L6.
Liverpool
30mph
West Derby Road/Perth Street, Liverpool, L6.
Liverpool
30mph
A57 Prescot Road (Eastbound) Liverpool, L6.
Liverpool
30mph
A57 Prescot Road (Westbound) Liverpool, L7.
Liverpool
30mph
Smithdown Road (South Eastbound) Liverpool, L7.
Liverpool
30mph
Park Road, Liverpool, L8.
Liverpool
30mph
Rice Lane (Southbound) Liverpool, L9.
Liverpool
30mph
M62 Westbound, Liverpool
Liverpool
50mph
Edge Lane Drive (Eastbound) Liverpool, L13
Liverpool
30mph
Edge Lane Drive (Westbound) Liverpool, L13
Liverpool
30mph
Prescot Road (Eastbound) Old Swan, Liverpool, L13
Liverpool
30mph
Prescot Road (Westbound) Old Swan, Liverpool, L13
Liverpool
30mph
West Derby Road (Eastbound) Liverpool, L6
Liverpool
30mph
West Derby Road (Westbound) Liverpool, L6
Liverpool
30mph
Picton Road, Liverpool, L15
Liverpool
30mph
High Street, Liverpool, L15
Liverpool
30mph
New Chester Road (A41)/Heather Dene, Bromborough, Wirral, CH62.
Wirral
40mph
New Chester Road (A41)/Eastham Village Road (N/B) Eastham, Wirral, CH62.
Wirral
40mph
Mount Road, Bebington, Wirral, CH63.
Wirral
30mph
Woodchurch Road/Ackers Road, Woodchurch, Wirral, CH49.
Wirral
40mph
Woodchurch Road/Ennerdale Road, Prenton, Wirral, CH43.
Wirral
30mph
Hoylake Road/Millhouse Lane (Eastbound) Moreton, Wirral, CH46.
Wirral
30mph
New Chester Road (A41)/Turbine Road (Northbound), Birkenhead, Wirral, CH42.
Wirral
30mph
Dunningsbridge Road (Westbound) Netherton, L30.
Sefton
40mph
Dunningsbridge Road (Eastbound) Netherton, L30
Sefton
40mph
Church Road (Eastbound) Litherland, Sefton, L21.
Sefton
40mph
Church Road (Westbound) Litherland, Sefton, L21.
Sefton
40mph
Princess Way (Westbound) Seaforth, Sefton, L21
Sefton
40mph
Princess Way (Eastbound) Seaforth, Sefton, L21
Sefton
40mph
Balliol Road East (Westbound) Bootle, Sefton, L20
Sefton
30mph
Balliol Road (Eastbound) Bootle, Sefton, L20
Sefton
30mph
Gorsey Lane/Richard Martin Road (Northbound) Litherland, Sefton, L21
Sefton
30mph
Gorsey Lane/Richard Martin Road (Southbound) Litherland, Sefton, L21
Sefton
30mph
Gorsey Lane (Northbound) Near To Sterrix Lane, Litherland, Sefton, L21
Sefton
30mph
Gorsey Lane (Southbound) Near To Sterrix Lane, Litherland, Sefton, L21
Sefton
30mph
Crosby Road South (Northbound), Waterloo, Sefton, L22
Sefton
30mph
Crosby Road North (Southbound), Waterloo, Sefton, L22
Sefton
30mph
Crosby Road South/Cambridge Road (Southbound) Crosby, L21
Sefton
30mph
Northway (A59)/Hall Lane, Maghull, L31.
Sefton
40mph
Park Road North/Duke Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41.
Wirral
30mph
New Chester Road (A41)/Caldbeck Road (S/B) Bromborough, Wirral, CH62.
Wirral
40mph
New Chester Road (A41)/Pool Lane, Bromborough, Wirral, CH62.
Wirral
40mph
Archway Road/Rupert Road, Huyton, L36.
Knowsley
30mph
Seth Powell Way/Woolfall Heath Avenue, Huyton, Liverpool, L36.
Knowsley
30mph
A57 Liverpool Road/Princess Drive, Huyton. Knowsley, L36.
Knowsley
40mph
Aigburth Road/Mersey Road, Liverpool, L17.
Liverpool
30mph
Garston Way /Dock Rd liverpool 19.
Liverpool
30mph
Queens Drive/Mill Bank (Northbound) Liverpool, L13.
Liverpool
40mph
Victoria Street/Crosshall Street (Eastbound) Liverpool, L1.
Liverpool
30mph
Leeds Street/Vauxhall Road, Liverpool, L3.
Liverpool
30mph
East Lancashire Road (A580)/Carr Mill Road (W/B) St Helens, WA10.
St Helens
60mph
MOBILE SITES
Hawthorne Road (A5090)
Sefton
30mph
Hawthorne Road (A5090)
Sefton
30mph
A57 Warrington Road L35
Knowsley
30mph
A57 Warrington Road L35
Knowsley
30mph
Utting Avenue L4
Liverpool
30mph
Utting Avenue L4
Liverpool
30mph
Woodend Avenue
Liverpool
30mph
Woodend Avenue
Liverpool
30mph
A57 Warrington Road L35
St Helens
30mph
A57 Warrington Road L35
St Helens
30mph
A49 Winwick Road
St Helens
40mph
A49 Winwick Road
St Helens
40mph
Storeton Lane. CH61
Wirral
30mph
Storeton Lane. CH61
Wirral
30mph
A570 Rainford Bypass WA11
St Helens
60mph
A570 Rainford Bypass WA11
St Helens
60mph
A5030 Beaufort Road. CH41
Wirral
30mph
A5030 Beaufort Road. CH41
Wirral
30mph
Prescot Road
St Helens
30mph
Prescot Road
St Helens
30mph
Southport Road, Lydiate L31
Sefton
30mph
Southport Road, Lydiate L31
Sefton
30mph
A59 Northway, Maghull. L31
Sefton
40mph
A59 Northway, Maghull. L31
Sefton
40mph
Greenlees Road / Bayswater Road
Wirral
30mph
Greenlees Road Bayswater Road
Wirral
30mph
Albert Road
Sefton
30mph
Albert Road
Sefton
30mph
Jubits Lane (B5419)
St Helens
30mph
Jubits Lane (B5419)
St Helens
30mph
Birchley Road (A571)
St Helens
40mph
Birchley Road (A571)
St Helens
40mph
Birkenhead Road / Hoylake Road
Wirral
40mph
Birkenhead Road / Hoylake Road
Wirral
40mph
Column Road
Wirral
30mph
Column Road
Wirral
30mph
Telegraph Road
Wirral
30mph
Telegraph Road
Wirral
30mph
Roe Lane
Sefton
30mph
Roe Lane
Sefton
30mph
Cambridge Road
Sefton
30mph
Cambridge Road
Sefton
30mph
Liverpool Road
Sefton
30mph
Liverpool Road
Sefton
30mph
Ashton Road
St Helens
30mph
Ashton Road
St Helens
30mph
A58 Prescot Bypass
Knowsley
40mph
A58 Prescot Bypass
Knowsley
40mph
Windy Arbour Road
Knowsley
30mph
Windy Arbour Road
Knowsley
30mph
Valley Road
Knowsley
40mph
A562 Higher Road
Knowsley
40mph
A565 (Moor Lane Continuation)
Sefton
30mph
Riverside Drive
Liverpool
30mph
Riverside Drive
Liverpool
30mph
Sefton Street
Liverpool
30mph
Sefton Street
Liverpool
30mph
Regent Road
Liverpool
30mph
Regent Road
Liverpool
30mph
Aigburth Road
Liverpool
30mph
Aigburth Road
Liverpool
30mph
Acornfield Road
Knowsley
30mph
Lees Road
Knowsley
30mph
Manor Drive
Wirral
30mph
Woodchurch Road
Wirral
30mph
Woodchurch Road
Wirral
30mph
Hoylake Road
Wirral
30mph
Hoylake Road
Wirral
30mph
Childwall Valley Road
Liverpool
30mph
Childwall Valley Road
Liverpool
30mph
Warrington Road, Bold Heath
St Helens
30mph
Menlove Avenue
Liverpool
40mph
Menlove Avenue
Liverpool
40mph
East Lancashire Road
St Helens
60mph
East Lancashire Road
St Helens
60mph
Kings Parade
Wirral
30mph
Waterloo Road
Sefton
30mph
Waterloo Road
Sefton
30mph
Mather Avenue
Liverpool
40mph
Mather Avenue
Liverpool
40mph
Mount Road, Bebington
Wirral
30mph
Mount Road, Bebington
Wirral
30mph
Saughall Massie Road
Wirral
30mph
Saughall Massie Road
Wirral
30mph
Pump Lane
Wirral
30mph
Pump Lane
Wirral
30mph
East Lancashire Road (Site 2)
Knowsley
60mph
East Lancashire Road (Site 2)
Knowsley
60mph
Heyworth Street
Liverpool
30mph
Heyworth Street
Liverpool
30mph
Common Road
St Helens
30mph
Common Road
St Helens
30mph
East Lancashire Road (Site 1)
St Helens
60mph
East Lancashire Road (Site 1)
St Helens
60mph
East Prescot Road
Knowsley
40mph
Great Homer Street
Liverpool
30mph
Green Lane
Liverpool
30mph
Green Lane
Liverpool
30mph
Hornby Road
Liverpool
30mph
Laird Street
Wirral
30mph
Laird Street
Wirral
30mph
Leasowe Road
Wirral
40mph
Leasowe Road
Wirral
40mph
Longmoor Lane
Liverpool
30mph
Longmoor Lane
Liverpool
30mph
Lower House Lane
Liverpool
30mph
Lower House Lane
Liverpool
30mph
Muirhead Avenue
Liverpool
30mph
Muirhead Avenue
Liverpool
30mph
New Chester Road
Wirral
30mph
New Chester Road
Wirral
30mph
Southport Road
Sefton
30mph
Southport Road
Sefton
30mph
Southport Road
Sefton
30mph
Southport Road
Sefton
30mph
Townsend Avenue
Liverpool
30mph
Townsend Avenue
Liverpool
30mph
Upper Parliament Street
Liverpool
30mph
Upper Parliament Street
Liverpool
30mph
Stanley Road
Liverpool
30mph
Stanley Road
Liverpool
30mph
Brewster Street
Sefton
30mph
Brewster Street
Sefton
30mph
Ormskirk Road
Sefton
40mph
Ormskirk Road
Sefton
40mph
Dock Road
Wirral
30mph
Dock Road
Wirral
30mph
Greasby Road
Wirral
30mph
Greasby Road
Wirral
30mph
Seabank Road
Wirral
30mph
Seabank Road
Wirral
30mph
Upton Road
Wirral
30mph
Upton Road
Wirral
30mph
Moreton Road/Pasture Road
Wirral
30mph
Liverpool Road
Sefton
30mph
Liverpool Road
Sefton
30mph
Rimrose Road/Derby Road
Sefton
40mph
Higher Road
Knowsley
30mph
Higher Road
Knowsley
30mph
Moorgate Road
Knowsley
40mph
Muirhead Avenue East
Liverpool
30mph
Muirhead Avenue East
Liverpool
30mph
Aigburth Road
Liverpool
30
Aigburth Road
Liverpool
30mph
Scotland Road N/B
Liverpool
30mph
Scotland Road S/B
Liverpool
30mph
Emergency Service Vehicles
There’s a bit of mystery surrounding emergency service vehicles, and what to do when you see one on the road. So, we’ve written a little bit of an overview to clear things up.
Only emergency service vehicles are allowed be fitted with blue flashing lights (or anything that looks like a blue flashing light) and sirens. There are a large number of emergency services including police, fire service and ambulances, the National Blood Service and the RNLI to name a few. It’s not just cars and larger vehicles to consider – pedal cycles are commonly used by police as well.
The lights can be used:
- When responding to an emergency
- At the scene of an incident, for example a crash or a road closure
- To alert you to their presence
- To let you know there is a hazard on the road. It’s easy to become confused as to what you should do or where you should go when you see an approaching emergency service vehicle.
Here’s our advice:
- If listening to music, keep the volume at a reasonable level so that you can hear their sirens
- Remain alert to their presence, particularly in town and the city centre. You should be regularly checking your mirrors anyway
- If you do see one approaching from behind, indicate and pull over where it is safe and remain there until it has passed. Avoid blind bends or hill crests. Remember, there may be more than one emergency service vehicle
- Avoid mounting a pavement as you may place pedestrians at risk, not to mention damage your wheels or tyres
- Do not contravene a red traffic light signal or bus lane as you may commit an offence by doing so. Emergency service drivers are highly trained and will drive at an appropriate speed that enables them to make safe progress without placing you in danger or forcing you to commit an illegal manoeuvre
- You may legally ‘break the law’, for example enter a bus lane or contravene a traffic sign or signal, if directed by a police officer
- If the emergency service vehicle cannot make safe progress, for example in the Mersey tunnels during peak time or in heavy traffic, the driver may switch off their lights and sirens until they can negotiate the traffic safely. Be prepared for this to happen
- Consider that it may be you that they need to speak to Blue Light Aware have made this helpful videoThank you for helping the emergency services keep Merseyside safe.

Pavement Parking
What are the issues with pavement parking?
In Merseyside, the number of vehicles registered for use on our roads continues to increase year on year. With some households having as many as two to three vehicles, but with limited off-road parking space pavement parking has become a real issue.
To ensure traffic flow across Merseyside, there are widespread parking restrictions in the form of single or double yellow lines. Meaning that legal on-road parking space is scarce. Drivers are using the pavements – often forcing pedestrians to walk on the road, where they risk being struck by passing traffic.
In 2019, 21 people were killed on the roads of Merseyside. A further 442 were seriously injured, some of whom sustained life changing injuries.
Among the most vulnerable are pedestrians, and those most affected are children, the elderly and disabled. Additionally, many older people suffer a poor quality of life because they remain at home, concerned about their limited mobility and the risk of injury from vehicles and broken pavements (that are unable to withstand the weight of a vehicle). Walking safely is a basic human right and the space allocated to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users must be respected.

FAQs
Is it an offence to drive onto a pavement?
Yes. It is an offence to drive onto a pavement, contrary to Section 72 of the Highway Act 1835 and s.34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Is it an offence to park on a pavement?
In almost all cases, vehicles parked on the pavement will have first been driven onto the pavement in breach of the law. Also, you can still get a fine for doing so if the position of your vehicle causes obstruction or danger to other road users, including pedestrians. In London, any form of parking on pavements has been made an offence.
What exactly does the law say about pavement parking?
It is an offence to leave a vehicle on a road (including the pavement) in a dangerous position, contrary to Section 22 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
The Road Traffic Act 1988 (Section 22) applies to any vehicle or trailer (including a caravan) that is left on a road (including the pavement) in such a position, condition or circumstances as to involve danger of injury to other road users. Drivers MUST assess the risks posed by their vehicles at the time they park them.
Here are some examples of ‘dangerous’ pavement parking;
- Vehicles which obstruct pavements for pedestrians, pram and wheelchair users and guide dog handlers, forcing them to step into roads and into the path of passing traffic
- Vehicles parked partially or totally on pavements near to junctions where they block the views of drivers and increase the risk of a collision
- Drivers who stop on school zigzag lines during busy peak times, obstructing other drivers’ views of children crossing, placing them in danger
It is an offence to obstruct a pavement, contrary to Regulation 103 of The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.
- Whether or not there was an obstruction is a question of degree for a court to decide.
- A complete blockage of the highway is not required
- Police will take into account where the obstruction occurred, how long it lasted and the nature and extent
- In urban areas, obstructions might include parking a vehicle in a street or passage in such a way as prevent its use, or placing goods and merchandise for sale on the pavement
It is an offence to park a heavy commercial vehicle on a verge or footway, contrary to Section 19 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. There are exceptions which allow for a heavy commercial vehicle to be parked for the purpose of loading or unloading which could not otherwise have been done and also that the vehicle was not left unattended whilst it was parked. Additionally, if the vehicle was there for the purpose of attending to an emergency or the driver was directed by a police officer.
Rule 145 of the Highway Code states “You MUST NOT drive on or over a pavement, footpath or bridleway except to gain lawful access to property, or in the case of an emergency”.
Rule 244 of the Highway Code states that drivers “MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it.”
NOTE – the Highway Code is guidance and not law.
What can Merseyside Police do to address pavement parking?
Police have the power to require the owner/driver of a vehicle to remove it if it is in a position or condition likely to cause danger or obstruction or arrange for its removal at the owner’s expense. (Regulation 3 & 4. Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986)
In 2019, over 2,000 traffic offence reports were completed for a variety of parking-related offences, including obstructive and dangerous parking.
Who is responsible for enforcing the law?
The police are responsible for enforcing laws prohibiting driving onto a pavement and offences relating to obstruction and danger. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing parking restrictions on specified roads where there are clear road markings (single/double yellow lines) and a Traffic Regulation Order is in place.
NOTE – double yellow lines apply to the pavement as well as the road surface.
What about those people who live in a narrow street and don’t have a driveway?
We appreciate that on some narrow roads such as those with terraced housing and no off-road parking, drivers have no option but to park partially on the pavement otherwise the passage of traffic, including emergency vehicles would not be possible. Whilst under the current law this remains an offence, we will assess each reported case and make a decision based upon each set of circumstances.
However, we will not tolerate parking in any of the below circumstances;
- Vehicles which prevent pedestrians walking along a pavement
- Vehicles which obstruct pavements for pram and wheelchair users and guide dog handlers
- Vehicles parked partially or totally on pavements near to junctions where they block the views of drivers and increase the risk of a collision.