Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Susan Dungworth has called for new safety measures on the A1 in Northumberland, saying "we need to do something" to improve the road's safety record. Her plea follows an eighth death on the A1 this year, after a woman died in a three-vehicle crash near Felton last Sunday.
Crash Toll and Campaign for Dualling
The region's leaders have long campaigned for the A1 to be dualled up to the Scottish border, but successive governments have not acted on those requests. Plans to upgrade 13 miles of single carriageway between Morpeth and Ellingham were scrapped under Sir Keir Starmer's administration in 2024, though Andy Burnham has recently indicated the shelved project could be revisited.
Speaking to councillors on Tuesday, Mrs Dungworth described 2026 as "a really, really bad year this year with the number of road deaths we have had" across the North East. She added that officials "are still struggling" to get new speed cameras rolled out.
Plans for Safety Improvements
A report presented by the PCC said local authorities and National Highways are working on plans "regarding signage, deployment plans and potential camera solutions to reduce casualties and improve driver compliance" on the A1.
Mrs Dungworth told a Police and Crime Panel meeting in Gateshead: "There is a meeting set up that has been asked for by the chief constable around the A1 and looking at what could be put in place to improve the situation. While there is a campaign for several of those roads to be dualled, even if the decision is taken to dual those roads it will take some time."
She added: "In the meantime, we need to do something that improves the safety on those roads. I think the force will say that, still, the majority of accidents, fatal or otherwise, are caused by the 'big five' – which is drugs and alcohol, mobile phone use, not wearing seatbelts, speed, and age. Not especially young people, a lot are caused by older people who are maybe not as quick with their reflexes – but it is both ends of the spectrum."
Cameras and Road Design Debate
The panel heard that the Northumbria Road Safety Partnership was still in the process of commissioning new digital speed cameras for use around the region. However, Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that speed cameras were "not the answer" to the A1's problems.
The Conservative councillor said: "It is just an added extra that perhaps won't have very much impact because so many of the crashes that happen are not speed related. They are related to frustration for drivers and the confusion that going from the dual carriageway into a single carriageway and back again causes to most drivers, because it is highly unusual to have such a ridiculous road setup on what is not only a main road – never mind the main road between two countries."
Coun Sanderson did say, however, that the county council wants to use speed cameras to improve safety on the A697, which runs parallel to the single carriageway sections of the A1 north of Morpeth and through villages like Longhorsley and Longframlington.
Contributing Factors and Ongoing Measures
Mrs Dungworth's report pinpointed factors Northumbria Police had identified as contributing to recurring casualties on the A1, including speed, fatigue, unsafe overtaking, lane discipline, distraction, and compliance by foreign drivers. Concerns have also been raised about the safety of particular junctions, and the Government confirmed last month that improvements are planned at Guyzance, where there have been 19 casualties since 2005.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "Since May, a mobile speed camera van has been deployed on the A1 every day, operating across more locations than previously. While enforcement is an important part of our approach, the primary aim is to influence driver behaviour, improve compliance with speed limits and reduce the risk of serious collisions. This activity is supported by regular deployments of police motorcyclists along the A1 between Morpeth and Berwick-upon-Tweed, providing a highly visible policing presence, engaging with road users and taking action against those whose driving places themselves and others at risk."
