AI camera now watching for U-turns on the A30 at Hayle

Sit in a crawling queue on the A30 for long enough and the gap in the traffic heading the other way starts to look tempting. On one stretch near Hayle, that temptation has cost a life, and now a camera is watching for anyone who gives in to it.

A new AI camera built to detect U-turns has been installed on the Hayle Bypass section of the A30. It is the first of its kind in the UK to be used to spot the manoeuvre.

Who is behind the camera

The camera has been put in by National Highways, working with Devon & Cornwall Police and Cornwall Council. All three are members of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership.

U-turns have been banned on this stretch of road since 2021. National Highways brought the ban in after a series of serious collisions, and after numerous complaints from people who use the road around Hayle.

One death and 19 injuries since 2014

Since 2014 there have been 10 collisions on this route caused directly by U-turns. Between them they left one person dead, six seriously injured and 13 more with slight injuries.

Adrian Leisk, Head of Road Safety at Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “While a U-turn may seem like an innocent manoeuvre, the collision history on this particular stretch of road shows just how dangerous they can be.

“Despite the U-turn ban and prominent signage, a small minority of road users continue to make dangerous decisions on this route, which is why these cameras have become necessary.

“Devon and Cornwall Police will not hesitate to take action against anyone caught making an illegal U-turn. Please, don’t risk it.”

Caught on dashcam

National Highways has put up signs along the route warning drivers about the ban. Even so, there have been reports of several near misses, and some have ended in prosecution through Op Snap, the Devon & Cornwall Police scheme that lets the public send in video evidence of road traffic offences.

The footage below shows an illegal U-turn on the Hayle Bypass that was submitted to Op Snap.

What the camera will do

Oliver Dash, Senior Road Safety Engineer at National Highways, said: “Safety is our first priority, and the vast majority of drivers who use our roads every day are sensible and respectful. But sadly there are some road users who are putting themselves and others at risk.

“We understand waiting in queues during periods of congestion can be frustrating, but carrying out U-turns on a road such as the Hayle bypass is incredibly dangerous.

“We’re employing the camera primarily to monitor traffic movements and manoeuvres. Data will be available to our Vision Zero South West partners and we hope this monitoring initiative will deter drivers from making U-turns as we work towards reducing the number of collisions in this location.”

A target of zero deaths by 2050

Cllr Dan Rogerson, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for transport, said: “Earlier this year we adopted our new Road Safety Strategy with the goal of eliminating all deaths on Cornwall roads by 2050, and tackling known accident blackspots like this will help us achieve that aim.

“Every accident that happens on our roads has a personal cost, it has a social cost and it has an economic cost, and we will continue to work with our partners and to utilise new technology to tackle the problem.”

📷Dashcam footage from the A30 Hayle Bypass submitted to Op Snap. Credit: Vision Zero South West