A new wave of speed cameras is set to hit Bradford in a bid to curtail the district’s biggest road menace.

Sixteen sites have been identified as being high-speed accident blackspots with six of those being recommended for permanent cameras. The move comes as latest full-year figures reveal that targets to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the district’s roads were not met for four years between 2005 and 2008 with casualties rising by ten per cent.

Although preliminary figures forecast a 20 per cent reduction in serious accidents last year, Bradford Council’s executive will next week be asked to approve spending £320,000 on new fixed and mobile speed cameras. Research has shown that the Bradford district has fewer safety cameras in relation to the numbers of fatal or serious injury accidents than other West Yorkshire authorities.

Statistics also show that there is an average 60 per cent reduction in serious road accidents at blackspots after fixed speed cameras are installed. Steve Thornton, Bradford Council’s principal traffic engineer, said: “We have done a major survey of the whole Bradford district to look at the need for speed cameras.

“It showed a problem with speed in Bradford and that needs to be dealt with.

“We have identified 16 sites where the injuries and speeds combined indicated a need for speed cameras – either fixed or mobile. There’s real life-saving potential.”

Mr Thornton said the Council’s Executive had already approved an action plan to improve safety, adding: “We are working hard to deliver that.”

He said: “It is a real challenge for us but it is encouraging to see everybody now getting behind our efforts,” he said.

In addition each of Bradford’s five area committees could be handed a slice of £600,000 to bring in “casualty reduction measures” including enforcement and increasing publicity about road safety in their own specific areas.

At a meeting this week, members of Shipley Area Committee approved proposals to give the committee responsibility for reducing fatal or serious accidents on roads in its area.

Another report will be put to the five committees next month outlining what road safety schemes are in place and what needs to be done to improve the situation.

Police have also pledged to improve the safety of the district’s roads.

Chief Inspector Steve Thomas of Airedale and North Bradford Police, said: “Any serious injury or death on our roads is one too many and over the years Airedale and North Bradford Police have worked extremely hard to increase road safety.

“We have a dedicated Road Traffic Unit who carry out high visibility safety patrols and carry out a number of casualty reduction operations addressing issues such as speed, seatbelt use, alcohol and vehicle worthiness.”