SWANSEA: AI cameras will flash bikers their speed at 20 of the city’s riskiest spots

Motorcyclists riding through some of Swansea’s riskiest roads will soon see their own speed flash up ahead of them, picked out by cameras that know a motorbike when they see one.

Swansea Council is installing 20 rider feedback signs during 2026 at locations where its collision data, road layouts and rider behaviour suggest bikers are most at risk.

The first sites include Carmarthen Road at Waun Wen, the A483 at Pontarddulais Road in Fforestfach, the B4560 Swansea Road at Llewitha and Gorseinon Road at Penllergaer.

The signs use digital and thermal cameras backed by artificial intelligence to spot an approaching motorbike and display the rider’s speed in their natural line of sight.

Stay inside the limit and the number shows green. Go over it and the display turns red, with bilingual “SLOW / ARAF” messaging and flashing amber lights.

The idea, the council says, is to nudge riders into safer choices without pulling their eyes off the road, where they should be scanning for bends, junctions, debris and other traffic.

And there are no tickets involved: the council is clear the signs are not enforcement cameras.

Tested where two riders died

The roll-out follows a trial on Carmarthen Road at Cwmdu, a stretch where the council says two motorcyclists have been killed in the last 15 years. The prototype was tested in real conditions with South Wales Police‘s BikeSafe team and the council’s road safety staff.

The council’s annual review of police collision data found motorcycles were involved in nearly 16% of road collisions in Swansea in 2024, above the Welsh average of 12%, with 484 motorcycle casualties among 4,005 road casualties across Wales.

Locations for the remaining signs have been picked using collision records, higher average speeds, popular rider routes and stretches where open layouts and long sightlines tempt the throttle.

Cllr Andrew Stevens, Swansea Council’s cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, said: “Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users and we want to do all we can to reduce the risk of serious collisions on Swansea’s roads.

“This new technology gives riders a clear, real-time reminder of their speed at locations where our road safety data tells us extra support is needed.

“It is not about enforcement; it is about using innovation to help riders make safer decisions and reduce the chance of a collision.”

The signs are funded through Welsh Government road safety money and supplied by SWARCO, with the council continuing to back BikeSafe workshops where riders can sharpen their skills.

For riders, the message will be hard to miss: your speed, in lights, exactly where you’re looking.

Author

Kit Peters

Kit Peters is a journalist and the editor of Swansea Bay News, covering Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire since 2020.