Greater Manchester Police has launched new enforcement operations as part of a major crackdown on speeding drivers across the region.
The police force unveiled two new specialist speed enforcement vans, taking the total from three vehicles to five, allowing officers to target more speeding hotspots across all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.
The new vans have been funded by Transport for Greater Manchester through the Greater Manchester Road Safety Partnership and support the region's wider Vision Zero strategy.
The Vision Zero campaign, backed by Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, aims to eliminate all road deaths and life-changing injuries by 2040.
Official figures showed almost 10,000 people have been killed or seriously injured on Greater Manchester's roads over the past decade.
Police explained that the additional vans will allow officers to increase patrols in areas where speeding has become a major concern for residents and local councillors.
The force said excessive speed remains one of the "fatal four" offences most commonly linked to serious collisions and road deaths.
The new vehicles will be used for targeted speed enforcement operations, as well as deployments to areas highlighted by communities through complaints and local intelligence.
The new measures hope to tackle speeding in the area
|GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE
Camera Enforcement Team Leader Michael Hewitt said the new vans would significantly boost police capabilities across the region.
He said: "These additional vehicles represent a significant enhancement to our operational capacity.
"Increasing our fleet to five dedicated enforcement vehicles means we can be present in more locations, more often, targeting those areas where speeding presents the greatest danger to our communities."
Mr Hewitt added that visible enforcement remained a key part of changing driver behaviours and supporting Greater Manchester's Vision Zero objectives.
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The police warned that excessive speed was one of the "fatal four" road offences
| PAThe expansion follows growing concern about dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour on roads across the UK, which has been growing in recent years.
Under new plans, Greater Manchester leaders hope to cut road casualties by 50 per cent before eventually reducing deaths and serious injuries to zero by 2040.
The strategy follows a public consultation involving more than 1,000 residents, with many calling for stronger action on speeding and dangerous driving. Transport for Greater Manchester said even small speed increases can dramatically increase the risk of fatal crashes.
Peter Boulton, TfGM's Network Director for Highways, said: "Speeding is one of the leading causes of fatal and life-changing injuries across the UK, and the difference of a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death."
Drivers can be fined £100 and issued three penalty points for speeding | PA"These new speed enforcement vehicles will provide a visible deterrent to discourage dangerous driving behaviour, supporting GMP's crucial role in helping us realise our Vision Zero ambition," Mr Boulton stated.
The Vision Zero initiative follows similar schemes already introduced in areas including West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Lancashire and the Liverpool City Region.
Greater Manchester's approach is based on the "Safe System" model, which focuses on making roads, vehicles and driver behaviour safer in order to reduce the severity of collisions.
Police said the new vans will also support wider efforts involving enforcement, education and community engagement to improve road safety across the region.
The force added that the increased enforcement presence would help reassure communities while discouraging motorists from speeding in residential areas and busy roads.