York's speeding blackspots will be targeted this month in a major clampdown on motorists who break the city's speed limits.

EYE LEVEL: Ken Spence with the new monitoring equipment which will keep an eye on speeding motorists in York Picture: Frank Dwyer

The campaign, launched today by North Yorkshire Police and City of York Council, will continue throughout June and concentrate on roads identified as having a particular speeding problem.

A special mobile monitor linked to police speed cameras will tour city roads, showing drivers on a large display panel whether or not they are speeding.

The council's road safety officer Ken Spence said the aim of the tell-tale monitor was to embarrass motorists who ignored speed limits.

He warned it would be backed up by intensive police action on selected roads across the city. Offenders could face fines, penalty points and even disqualification.

Mr Spence said a key message of the campaign would be asking motorists to spare a minute to save a life.

He said: "Speeding shaves only a small amount of time off journey times, but at the same time carries a disproportionate accident risk.

"Figures show that the accident rate reduces by five per cent for every mile per hour decrease in average traffic speed. The average journey is only five miles, and speeding is at most likely to save people a minute in their journey time. It's pointless".

Mr Spence added: "The hard facts show there is a higher risk of accidents when people speed, and we're asking people to consider if saving that minute is worth risking a serious accident or even killing somebody".

The council is spending £12,000 on the crackdown - which will be repeated in October - which includes bus advertising, free car stickers from city garages, leaflets to homes across the city, and posters with the slogan What's the Point of Speeding.

Council chiefs say the campaign costs are minimal when the estimated cost of road crashes in York last year was over £30 million - an average of £40,000 for each injury accident.

The campaign was officially launched today at Archbishop Holgate's School where another road safety initiative - Mega Drive 99 - is under way.

Mega Drive 99 aims to instil good driving habits in 15 and 16-year-olds who will soon be learning to drive.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "It's highly appropriate these two schemes should be launched in the same week.

"Young drivers of the future are an important audience in this campaign".

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.