NEW cameras will be placed on junctions across Merseyside next week in a bid to cut down on the number of crashes.

Merseyside Road Safety Partnership (MRSP) will introduce the 'speed on green' camera as part of speed awareness month on Monday, January 28.

The cameras are designed to detect when a driver has gone through a red light but will also record the speed of cars travelling through a junction.

Jayne Eaton from the Safer Roads Unit at the partnership said: “These cameras have the potential to improve safety on our roads by influencing the speed of drivers at junctions and reducing the risk of a crash.

"However, we would prefer if the cameras were redundant and drivers drove responsibly and within the speed limits.

“By their very nature, junctions present an increased risk to drivers.

"A green traffic light signal can often create an unpredictable situation for a driver to deal with and it is vitally important that drivers drive at an appropriate speed, one which enables them to stop safely should the traffic lights change or a pedestrian step into the road.

A total of 557 people were killed or seriously injured on roads across Merseyside in 2017 and a common factor of these crashes is speed.

Merseyside police commissioner Jane Kennedy said: “Far too many people lose their lives or suffer serious injury on our roads.

"We know that speed is a major factor in many of those collisions and that’s why, as we mark speed awareness month, we are looking for ways to encourage drivers to slow down – for their own safety and the safety of others.

“I hope that by implementing ‘speed on green’ cameras, more drivers will pay closer attention to their speed, make sure they are sticking to the limits and driving responsibly.

"It could be the difference between getting home safely or not getting home at all.”

Several junctions have been earmarked for the cameras with Sefton being the first area to receive them.

Each camera will also be signposted as a speed camera.

Paul Mountford from the Safer Roads Unit added: “Drivers should remember that an amber light means ‘stop’ if safe to do so and we would warn drivers of the consequences of speeding at junctions, for example to ‘beat’ a red traffic light signal.

"Speeding carries a penalty of £100 and three penalty points.

"Drivers may be offered a Speed Awareness Course, depending on their speed.”