A NOTORIOUS stretch of the A38 in South East Cornwall has seen a 100 per cent drop in fatal and serious injury collisions following the introduction of average speed cameras, new figures have revealed.

The route between Carkeel and Trerulefoot – long regarded as one of Cornwall’s most dangerous roads – recorded no deaths or serious injuries in the nine months after the camera system was installed.

Road safety chiefs say the dramatic improvement has helped contribute to the lowest number of people killed or seriously injured on Devon and Cornwall’s roads in recorded history.

New provisional Department for Transport data shows that 49 people were killed and 495 seriously injured across the two counties in 2025 – around 20 per cent lower than the previous year. Collision figures have now fallen every year since 2022.

However, the clearest sign of progress has come on the A38, where campaigners and police have spent years pushing for stronger action on speeding.

The same route made headlines earlier this year after Landrake was revealed as home to Cornwall’s busiest speed camera. More than 9,600 motorists were caught speeding there during 2025, including one driver travelling at 85mph through the 30mph zone.

Adrian Leisk, head of road safety at Devon and Cornwall Police, said the results on the A38 showed exactly why enforcement matters.

“When we put camera schemes in, fewer people are getting seriously hurt,” he said. “We cannot stop people making mistakes, but by reducing speed we dramatically reduce the severity of collisions.”

Campaign group Safe38 has long argued for tougher enforcement along the route. Chair James Millidge previously pointed to the success of average speed cameras in the Glynn Valley, where serious and fatal collisions have fallen by 45 per cent since installation.

Despite the improvements, officers stressed the figures were “not a celebration” and warned there is still more work to do.