Speed Cameras and Lower Limits Coming to A414 Between Chelmsford and North Weald After Fatal Crashes

Average speed cameras, reduced speed limits and new signage are to be introduced along a 14.5-mile (23km) stretch of the A414 between Chelmsford and North Weald, following a series of fatal collisions on the road.

The measures are a joint initiative between Essex County Council, Essex Police and the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP), with work expected to begin in August.

A Road With a Troubled Recent History

The A414 recorded five fatal crashes in 2024, with two further fatal incidents so far in 2026. The safety measures were announced less than two weeks after a 40-year-old motorcyclist from Witham died at the scene following a collision with a car near Radley Green Road on 16 July.

That crash followed the death of a van driver in his 30s in May, after a collision near the Wyse's Road junction on the Ongar Road stretch of the A414.

What's Changing

Essex County Council said speed limits along the route will be reduced in places from 60mph to either 50mph or 40mph, depending on the specific location. Sections already limited to 50mph will be lowered further to 40mph, while existing 40mph and 30mph sections will remain unchanged.

In a joint statement, Essex County Council's cabinet member for highways, Tom Cunningham, along with Adam Pipe from Essex Police's roads policing unit and Lee Scott, chair of the SERP governance board, said they were "deeply saddened" by the recent fatal incident, and confirmed steps were being taken to reduce the number of fatal and serious collisions on the road by lowering speeds and improving signage.

Part of a Wider Pattern on Essex Roads

The A414 has seen several serious incidents in recent months beyond those cited in the announcement, including a fatal collision at Writtle involving a lorry and car, and a separate crash near the King Street and Rookery Road junctions between Chelmsford and Ongar.

The new measures on this stretch follow a similar approach already rolled out on the A414 further west, where average speed cameras were installed earlier this year between Chelmsford and Harlow, alongside reduced limits between Widford roundabout and the B181 at Tylers Green.

Will Cubbin, Partnership Manager at the Safer Essex Roads Partnership, has previously said that speed remains one of the most significant contributing factors in serious and fatal collisions on Essex roads.