Hi- tech speed cameras on one of Scotland's most notorious roads have cut fatalities by 46%, according to the latest figures released today.

The £1m Specs system, familiar to motorists on the A77 as scores of mounted cameras along a 32-mile stretch from Ayr to Girvan, has clocked the average speed of every vehicle for the last three years.

Following the end of a pilot scheme, road safety campaigners welcomed data showing the system, dubbed the "yellow vultures" by drivers, as a major success that had cut deaths, serious injuries and the number of accidents.

In the three years before the cameras were introduced, 13 people lost their lives in crashes on the A77. Since 2005 that number has dropped to seven.

The serious injury rate was down 35% while the total number of accidents has been reduced by 19%.

Despite 24 million vehicles recorded on the road in the first two years, there were just 320 fines issued. However since March this year, when a new 50mph zone was introduced, the number of offenders has been on the rise.

The cameras, the first of their kind to be sited in Scotland, will remain in situ for the foreseeable future.

The figures were described as "very good news" by Hugh McCafferty of Transport Scotland, who chairs the A77 Safety Group, a safety partnership comprising Transport Scotland, Amey, South Ayrshire Council, Strathclyde Police and Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership.

He added: "Specs has clearly played a key part in reducing accident numbers and that is why the cameras will remain in place now that the pilot period is complete.

"In my view it has proved extremely good value for money.

"There is a very high compliance rate, and our evidence shows the majority of drivers prefer it to other speed camera systems.

"As ever, the most critical element in road safety is always the behaviour of road users and we recognise the significant efforts of the Safety Group partners for their continued work in enforcement, engineering and education."

Last week, The Herald told how the Specs system, although controversial with some drivers, was succeeding in slowing traffic on the A77.

Jim Dale, director of the Scottish Safety Camera Partnership, the body that decides where speed cameras should be sited through its eight local networks, told the Herald he welcomed the new figures and indicated that motorists could be seeing similar technology on roads across the country.

He said: "We must remember that behind every statistic is a human tragedy.

"Around 280 lives were lost last year on Scotland's roads, so that's 280 grieving families.

"We'll be looking very carefully at these figures to help us plan for the future, but anything that helps cut this number has to be welcomed by everyone involved in road safety."

Mr Dale revealed that he had recently been shown prototypes for the next generation of average speed cameras.

He added: "At the moment the Specs system is the only one on the market.

"However, updated systems that are likely to be cheaper and more sophisticated should be available next year, bringing more competition to the market."