Southend-on-Sea City Council is supporting the installation of a new AI‑enabled speed camera on as part of a wider Essex‑wide road safety trial.
Data from the Council's speed monitoring programme indicates that vehicle speeds on this road are higher than typically recorded elsewhere in Southend.
The road is close to a secondary school, and monitoring shows that around 85% of vehicles in Lane 2 travel at close to 50 mph in free‑flowing conditions, above the 40mph speed limit.
This information is helping the Council and partners understand traffic behaviour and consider appropriate measures to improve safety.
The camera has been installed on an existing streetlight on the dual carriageway near Cecil Jones Academy, facing towards the Garon Park roundabout and McDonalds.
The speed limit at this location is 40mph. The site was agreed with Essex Police, and advance warning signage is already in place.
The trial is one of the first of its kind in the country and is being delivered by the Safer Essex Road Partnership and Essex Police. Southend-on-Sea City Council is supporting the trial by providing access to its highway infrastructure and hosting the trial within the city.
The Council does not operate the camera, is not responsible for enforcement and does not receive any income from fines.
About the technology
The device installed is a Redspeed Sentio, a modern traffic enforcement camera designed to accurately measure vehicle speeds. It does not require painted road markings, helping to maintain the appearance of the street while still enabling effective enforcement. Similar systems have been used at sites across the UK over the past few years.
The camera being trialled in Southend is configured to measure speed only. While the technology is capable of detecting other offences - such as red‑light violations, mobile phone use and seatbelt non‑compliance - these functions are not part of the current Southend trial.
Any potential offences detected by the camera are reviewed through established enforcement processes with human oversight. Responsibility for enforcement rests with Essex Police, not the Council.
Key capabilities include:
- monitoring multiple lanes of traffic at the same time
- measuring vehicle speed and movement over time
- high‑resolution imaging designed to operate day and night
- installation on existing street furniture, minimising additional infrastructure
Alan Richards, Executive Director for Environment and Place at Southend-on-Sea City Council, said: "This installation is part of a trial being led by the Safer Essex Road Partnership and Essex Police.
"The council has supported the use of this location and welcomes efforts to improve road safety which is also one of the key priority areas for the Southend Community Safety Partnership. The operation of the camera and any enforcement activity sits with our partners, Essex Police, and any questions about the trial should be directed to them."