POLICE are looking to install a number of average speed cameras along a notorious road which has seen a number of deadly crashes in recent years.

West Mercia Police Safer Roads Partnership and Worcestershire County Council are preparing to bid for around £400,000 from West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion to set up the cameras along the A449 between Worcester, Ombersley and Hartlebury.

Average speed cameras use number plate recognition technology to measure a car's average speed between a number of cameras over a certain distance.

The theory behind the average speed cameras is to stop cars from slamming on the brakes before reaching a speed camera and encourages motorists to drive in a safer and smoother manner.

The cameras are also harder to spot meaning drivers always have to be paying attention to spot them and the first and last cameras are not always the ones paired so drivers are unaware at what point the average speed is measured.

As the police and the county council are currently finalising the details of the plan, a final decision is yet to be made on where the cameras would be placed.

Several people have died when travelling on the busy road in recent years.

In 2006, four teenagers were killed when the car they were travelling hit a tree.

In January this year, a pedestrian was taken to hospital with life threatening injuries after colliding with a car on the road in Claines.

A cyclist was killed in October 2018 following a crash with an HGV lorry in Hartlebury and another man was killed when he was involved in a crash with an unmarked police car also in Hartlebury in May that year.

55-year-old Anthony Ryder was killed when he was hit by a car in December 2017.

Police say the road is currently monitored in some areas by static cameras and mobile camera vans.

Councillor Christopher Day, who represents Ombersley on Wychavon District Council, said he welcomed the “positive intention” behind the plan.

He said: “There is a lot of speeding and slowing down along that stretch of road which is probably less safe than just keeping people at an average speed.

“Personally, I am very much in favour of it because I think it will make the road safer and also cut emissions."