Speed drive clocks thousands
7:00pm Saturday 11th February 2012 in Latest News By Chris Melvin
Just two of the 360 community speed watch volunteers in action, capturing 15,000 speed incidents last year
Speeding drivers were caught out more than 15,000 times across Wiltshire last year, by speed watch volunteers.
About 60 Community Speed Watch schemes are in operation countywide and their 360 volunteers made more than 1,700 visits to speeding hotspots in 2011.
Volunteers monitor vehicle speeds, noting down details to be passed on to the police. Officers can then write to the drivers.
Last year, 11,700 letters were sent out, resulting in 18 police cautions, six fixed penalty notices and three people referred to court.
If there are frequent of reports of speeding in one place, or a individual driver gets three warning letters, Wiltshire Police will do their own speed checks, which can lead to fines and prosecutions.
Elizabeth Ngero, Wiltshire’s Community Speed Watch coordinator, said: “It’s a tool that we can use, that empowers the community to actually go out and promote road safety in their area.
“We’ve had an increase in the number of groups who have come forward who want to be involved with it.
“It’s giving people the opport-unity to do something in their area.”
The scheme was launched as a pilot in 2009 and has proved popular across the county.
Every potential site is assessed, to see if there is a speeding problem, and then measured on a yearly basis, to see what impact has been made.
Communities wanting to report speeding issues can contact their local area board.
Dick Tonge, the cabinet member for highways at Wiltshire Council, said: “This is a fantastic effort and it shows just what communities can do when they work together to tackle local issues.
“The response to community speed watch has been huge and it is now leading to convictions.”
