ALMOST 1,400 motorists have been caught speeding in less than two months by new cameras installed on the A1.

Around 25 drivers every day are facing prosecution for breaking the 50mph limit along the 12 mile stretch between Barton and Leeming Bar in North Yorkshire.

The road is being upgraded from dual-carriageway to three-lane motorway and the speed limit has been imposed to protect the workforce.

Meanwhile, road safety charity Brake has revealed fixed penalty tickets for speeding and careless driving are issued every 11 minutes in the North-East.

It said a total of 46,539 such fines were issued last year in the region while in Yorkshire and Humberside that figure stands at 78,984.

Brake today launched it's 'Look Out for Each Other' campaign which calls on all road users to be more considerate. It coincides with the start of Road Safety Week when police step up efforts to target drivers putting others at risk.

In 2013, 51 people were killed on North Yorkshire's roads compared to 31 the previous year. In the North-East - covering the Durham, Cleveland and Northumbria police force areas - 76 people were killed on the roads in 2013 compared with 77 the previous year. Those seriously injured fell from 842 to 726.

A study of motoring convictions over five years found 65.2 per cent were for speeding,13.4 per cent for careless and reckless driving and 7.9 per cent for such offences as ignoring signs and traffic lights.

Licence and insurance offences made up 7.3 per cent while 4.5 per cent related to drink or drug driving, the MoneySuperMarket report found.

Figures obtained by The Northern Echo from North Yorkshire Police revealed 1,392 speeding offences were committed through the A1 roadworks between September 5 and October 30.

Average speed check cameras installed along the 12 mile stretch of the £380m upgrade - due to be completed by 2017 - calculate a vehicle's speed by measuring the time it takes to pass each camera.

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick, of North Yorkshire Police, who is also the chairman of “95 Alive”, the York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership, called on drivers to stick to the speed limit - or face the consequences.

“It is vital that the people who are working on the highways are protected and have a safe environment to work in," he added. "We urge everyone to adhere to the speed limits for everyone’s safety, including their own.”

A spokesman for The Highways Agency, which is coordinating the improvements, said: "As the lane widths are reduced to allow for construction, a reduction in speed is necessary to maintain safety for road users and our work force."

Brake hopes its 'Look Out for Each Other' campaign will encourage drivers to stick to speeds of 20mph or below in towns and villages and to be considerate to other motorists.

It is supported by the mother of 12-year-old Steven Atkinson, from Sunderland, who died in 2009 when he was hit by a speeding driver while out on his bike. The driver later admitted causing death by careless driving.

Violet Atkinson said: "No words can describe the grief our family has gone through since his death.

"I don't want another mother to experience the pain of seeing her child die. People need to wake up to the consequences of driving irresponsibly."

Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said: "When drivers use roads without care for others the consequences can be tragic and horrific - this means people killed and badly ruined and lives ruined forever.

For further details visit www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk