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
Archway Road/Rupert Road,
Huyton, L36
Seth Powell Way/Woolfall Heath Avenue,
Huyton, Liverpool, L36
A57 Liverpool Road/Princess Drive,
Huyton, Knowsley. L36
Aigburth Road/Mersey Road,
Liverpool, L19
Garston Way /Dock Rd,
Liverpool 19
Queens Drive/Mill Bank (Northbound),
Liverpool, L13
Victoria Street/Crosshall Street (Eastbound),
Liverpool, L1
Leeds Street/Vauxhall Road,
Liverpool, L3
Crosby Road South/Cambridge Road (Southbound),
Crosby, L21
Northway (A59)/Hall Lane,
Maghull, L31
East Lancashire Road (A580)/Carr Mill Road (W/B),
St Helens, WA10
New Chester Road (A41)/Caldbeck Road (S/B),
Bromborough, Wirral, CH62
New Chester Road (A41)/Pool Lane, Bromborough,
Wirral, CH62
Scotland Road (Northbound),
Liverpool, L5
Scotland Road (Southbound),
Liverpool, L5
West Derby Road/Farnworth Street (Westbound),
Liverpool, L6
West Derby Road/Perth Street,
Liverpool, L6
Prescot Road (Eastbound),
Liverpool, L6
Prescot Road (Westbound),
Liverpool, L7
Smithdown Road (South Eastbound),
Liverpool, L7
Park Road,
Liverpool, L8
Rice Lane (Southbound) Liverpool, L9
M62 Westbound,
Liverpool
Edge Lane Drive (Eastbound),
Liverpool, L13
Edge Lane Drive (Westbound),
Liverpool, L13
Prescot Road (Eastbound) Old Swan,
Liverpool, L13
Prescot Road (Westbound) Old Swan,
Liverpool, L13
West Derby Road (Eastbound),
Liverpool, L6
West Derby Road (Westbound),
Liverpool, L6
Park Road North/Duke Street,
Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41
Picton Road,
Liverpool, L15
High Street,
Liverpool, L15
New Chester Road (A41)/Heather Dene,
Bromborough, Wirral, CH62
New Chester Road (A41)/Eastham Village Road (N/B),
Eastham, Wirral, CH62
Mount Road, Bebington,
Wirral, CH63
Woodchurch Road/Ackers Road,
Woodchurch, Wirral, CH49
Woodchurch Road/Ennerdale Road,
Prenton, Wirral, CH43
Hoylake Road/Millhouse Lane (Eastbound),
Moreton, Wirral, CH46
New Chester Road (A41)/Turbine Road (Northbound),
Birkenhead, Wirral, CH42
Dunningsbridge Road (Westbound),
Netherton, L30
Dunningsbridge Road (Eastbound),
Netherton, L30
Church Road (Eastbound) Litherland,
Sefton, L21
Church Road (Westbound) Litherland,
Sefton, L21
Princess Way (Westbound) Seaforth,
Sefton, L21
Princess Way (Eastbound) Seaforth,
Sefton, L21
Balliol Road East (Westbound) Bootle,
Sefton, L20
Balliol Road (Eastbound) Bootle,
Sefton, L20
Gorsey Lane/Richard Martin Road (Northbound),
Litherland, Sefton, L21
Gorsey Lane/Richard Martin Road (Southbound),
Litherland, Sefton, L21
Gorsey Lane (Northbound) Near To Sterrix Lane,
Litherland, Sefton, L21
Gorsey Lane (Southbound) Near To Sterrix Lane,
Litherland, Sefton, L21
Crosby Road South (Northbound),
Waterloo, Sefton, L22
Crosby Road North (Southbound),
Waterloo, Sefton, L22
MOBILE SITES
Birkenhead Road/Hoylake Road, Sherwood Road, Carr Lane, Wirral
Birkenhead Road/Hoylake Road, Carr Lane, Sherwood Road, Wirral
Column Road, Blackhorse Hill, Grange Cross Lane, Wirral
Column Road, Grange Cross Lane, Black Horse Hill, Wirral
Telegraph Road, Rocky Lane, Well Lane, Wirral
Telegraph Road, Well Lane, Rocky Lane, Wirral
Roe Lane, Norwood Avenue, Mill Lane, Sefton
Roe Lane, Mill Lane, Norwood Avenue, Sefton
Cambridge Road, Park Avenue, Marshside Road, Sefton
Cambridge Road, Marshside Road, Park Avenue, Sefton
Liverpool Road, Arundel Road, Waterloo Road, Sefton
Liverpool Road, Waterloo Road, Arundel Road, Sefton
Ashton Road, Billington Avenue , Crow Lane East, St Helens
Ashton Road, Crow Lane East, Billington Avenue , St Helens
A58 Prescot Bypass, Liverpool Road, St Helens Road, Knowsley
A58 Prescot Bypass, St Helens Road, Liverpool Road, Knowsley
Windy Arbour Road, Fallows Way, Lickers Lane, Knowsley
Windy Arbour Road, Lickers Lane, Fallows Way, Knowsley
Valley Road, M57 Motorway, Kirkby Row, Knowsley
A562 Higher Road, Speke Blvd, Baileys Lane, Knowsley
A565 (Moor Lane Continuation), Edge Lane , Brooms Cross Road, Sefton
Riverside Drive, Promenade Gardens, Royden Way, Liverpool
Riverside Drive, Jericho Lane, Bempton Road, Liverpool
Sefton Street, Royden Way, Parliament Street, Liverpool
Sefton Street, Parliament Street, Royden Way, Liverpool
Regent Road, Regent Street, Millers Bridge, Liverpool
Regent Road, Millers Bridge, Regent Street, Liverpool
Aigburth Road, Garston Old Road, Ashfield Road , Liverpool
Aigburth Road, Ashfield Road, Garston Old Road, Liverpool
Acornfield Road, Ashcroft Road, Charley Wood Road, Knowsley
Lees Road, Gores Road, Ashcroft Road, Knowsley
Manor Drive, Upton Bypass, Norwich drive, Wirral
Woodchurch Road, Storeton Road, Palmwood Close, Wirral
Woodchurch Road, Palmwood Close, Storeton Road, Wirral
Hoylake Road, Valley Road, St James Road, Wirral
Hoylake Road, St James Road, Valley Road, Wirral
Childwall Valley Road, Childwall Fiveways, Chelwood Avenue, Liverpool
Childwall Valley Road, Chelwood Avenue, Childwall Fiveways, Liverpool
Warrington Road, Bold Heath, Mersey Valley Golf Cr, Mill Lane, St Helens
Menlove Avenue, Queens Drive, Hillfoot Road, Liverpool
Menlove Avenue, Hillfoot Road, Queens Drive, Liverpool
East Lancashire Road, Carr Mill Road, Liverpool Road, St Helens
East Lancashire Road, Liverpool Road, Carr Mill Road, St Helens
Kings Parade, Harrison Drive, Coastal Drive, Wirral
Waterloo Road, Grosvenor Road, Liverpool Road, Sefton
Waterloo Road, Liverpool Road, Grosvenor Road, Sefton
Mather Avenue, Greenhill Road, Woolton Road
Liverpool, Mather Avenue, Stamfordham Drive, Greenhill Road, Liverpool
Mount Road, Bebington, Village Road, Storeton Road, Wirral
Mount Road, Bebington, Storeton Road, Village Road, Wirral
Saughall Massie Road, Pump Lane, Upton Bypass, Wirral
Saughall Massie Road, Upton Bypass, Pump Lane, Wirral
East Lancashire Road (Site 2), Rainford Road, Hewitts Lane, Knowsley
East Lancashire Road (Site 2), Hewitts Lane, Rainford Road, Knowsley
Heyworth Street, Beacon Lane, Breck Road
Liverpool, Heyworth Street, Breck Road, Beacon Lane, Liverpool
East Lancashire Road (Site 1), Lady Pilks Bridge, Carr Mill Road, St Helens
East Lancashire Road (Site 1), Carr Mill Road, Lady Pilks Bridge, St Helens
East Prescot Road, Pilch Lane, Finch Lane, Knowsley
Great Homer Street, Fox Street, Kirkdale Road, Liverpool
Green Lane, Prescot Road West Derby Road, Liverpool
Green Lane, West DerbyRoad, Prescot Road, Liverpool
Hornby Road, Rice Lane, Southport Road, Liverpool
Laird Street, Corporation Road, Duke Street, Wirral
Laird Street, Duke Street, Corporation Road, Wirral
Leasowe Road, Oakmere Close, Wallasey Village, Wirral
Leasowe Road, Wallasey Village, Oakmere Close, Wirral
Longmoor Lane, Walton Vale, Valley Road, Liverpool
Longmoor Lane, Valley Road, Walton Vale, Liverpool
Lower House Lane, Carr Lane East, East Lancashire Road, Liverpool
Lower House Lane, East Lancashire Road, Carr Lane, Liverpool
Muirhead Avenue, West Derby Road, Lorenzo Drive, Liverpool
Muirhead Avenue, Lorenzo Drive, West Derby Road, Liverpool
New Chester Road, Willowbank Road, St Pauls Road, Wirral
New Chester Road, St Pauls Road, Willowbank Road, Wirral
Southport Road, Breeze Hill, Aintree Road, Sefton
Southport Road, Aintree Road, Breeze Hill, Sefton
Southport Road, Aintree Road, Northfield Road, Sefton
Southport Road, Northfield Road, Aintree Road, Sefton
Townsend Avenue, Queens Drive Walton, East Lancashire Road, Liverpool
Townsend Avenue, East Lancashire Road, Queens Drive Walton, Liverpool
Upper Parliament Street, Jamaica Street, Lodge Lane, Liverpool
Upper Parliament Street, Lodge Lane, Jamaica Street, Liverpool
Stanley Road, Lambeth Road, Lily Road, Liverpool
Stanley Road, Lily Road , Lambeth Road, Liverpool
Dock Road, Wallasey Bridge Road, Duke Street Bridge, Wirral
Dock Road, Duke Street Bridge, Wallasey Bridge Road, Wirral
Seabank Road, Manor Road, Rowson Street, Wirral
Seabank Road, Rowson Street, Manor Road, Wirral
Upton Road, Boundary Road, Vyner Road South, Wirral
Upton Road, Vyner Road South, Boundary Road, Wirral
Moreton Road/Pasture Road, Hoylake Road, Tarran Way North, Wirral
Liverpool Road, Coastal Road, Station Road, Sefton
Liverpool Road, Station Road, Coastal Road, Sefton
Rimrose Road/Derby Road, Knowsley Road, Strand Road, Sefton
Higher Road, Leathers Lane, Blackburne Drive, Knowsley
Higher Road, Blackburne Drive, Leathers Lane, Knowsley
Moorgate Road, East Lancashire Road, South Boundry Road, Knowsley
Muirhead Avenue East, Lorenzo Drive, Dwerryhouse Lane, Liverpool
Muirhead Avenue East, Dwerryhouse Lane, Lorenzo Drive, Liverpool
Aigburth Road, Ashfield Road, Lark lane, Liverpool
Aigburth Road, Lark lane, Ashfield Road, Liverpool
Scotland Road N/B, Leeds Street, Dryden Street, Liverpool
Scotland Road S/B, Dryden Street, Leeds Street, Liverpool
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.
Is there anything I can do to help address pavement parking?
Yes! We are well aware of the scale of this problem across Merseyside and the effect it can have on people’s safety and quality of life. Merseyside Police officers cannot always be there to deal with the cases that members of the public see on a daily basis. There are things that YOU can do so that we can help one another.
- Visit the Merseyside Police website via the ‘Contact Us’ to submit footage. This process should take no more than 10 minutes.
- By sending an email to pavementparking@merseyside.police.uk
- We require a photo of the vehicle along with details of the location, time and date. We will assess the case and where appropriate, send a letter to the owner of the vehicle and will take steps to prosecute those owners who ignore our letters and continue to offend. We can also inform the local authority in cases where action by council enforcement officers is the appropriate course of action.
- Speak to your local policing team and collect some mock ‘parking notices’ and pavement parking cards. They contain information about the issues caused by pavement parking and the law so that we can educate drivers and hopefully influence their future parking. Also, the yellow ‘parking notices’ look very much like a parking ticket so they’re sure to grab the attention of drivers!
- In the longer term, we’re asking communities to ‘step up’ and take their own actions by setting up their Safer Roads Watch groups. Community members can work as a team with their local police and councils to address issues such as speeding, obstructive parking and ‘school run’ problems.