A dangerous road in Thanet is due to get an average speed camera system after a number of serious and fatal crashes.

The A28 Canterbury Road has seen five crashes causing serious injury or death from 2008 to 2014.

Data published at the end of March by the Kent and Medway Safety Camera Partnership (KMSCP) showed that from 2008 to 2011 there were three incidents of this nature.

A speed camera was then installed but there were a further two accidents from 2011 to 2014.

KMSCP project and communications officer Colin Evans said: “These cameras are only installed after lots of speed related incidents.

“We reduced the speed limit from national speed to 50 and there still continued to be crashes.

“After installing a temporary mobile site data still showed high levels of speeding and crashes..." Colin Evans

“After installing a temporary mobile site data still showed high levels of speeding and crashes.

“We don’t want to catch people speeding, we want them to slow down.”

Even though the latest data shows incidents up to 2014 Mr Evans says there have been a number or serious incidents and fatalities on this stretch of road more recently too.

The average speed cameras will be installed later this year and will be only the second average camera system within the partnership with the other being in the Isle of Grain.

Thanet District Councillor for Thanet Villages Derek Crow-Brown (Ukip) said: “In terms of driving you can even see cars coming off straight pieces of road.

“My son had leukaemia a few years ago and I was using that road every evening to travel to a hospital in Canterbury.

“Some of the driving was just reckless and anything that reduces crashes is a good thing in my book.”

The average speed cameras will be placed about 1.2miles apart and as a car enters the average speed zone the camera will capture the number plate.

It will then measure the time the car has travelled the 1.2mile distance as it takes a picture of the number plate leaving the zone.

If the distance is covered faster than expected an offence report is sent to Kent Police via a secure mobile network line.