OVER a hundred speeding drivers were caught out by Warwickshire Police and partners during national Road Safety Week.
The force and community groups carried out a range of activities to support the theme ‘No Need to Speed,’ set by road safety charity BRAKE.
During the week a total of 824 vehicles were checked for their speed, with 130 drivers receiving some kind of formal action – either a Traffic Offence Report or a letter from Community Speed Watch advising them about their speed.
Many of the speed checks were conducted by Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs), who carried out 21 checks during the campaign – and used the opportunity to set up new Community Speed Watch groups.
During these checks SNTs seized two vehicles from uninsured drivers and also reported a driver whose car had two bald tyres.
Warwickshire Police patrol officers also got involved by stopping motorists believed to be driving in excess of the speed limit and providing suitable advice. One of these encounters resulted in a vehicle being seized for no insurance and the driver being arrested on a warrant for failing to appear at court.
Sgt Shaun Bridle said: “During 2019, the highest recorded speed in a 30mph speed limit on Warwickshire’s roads was 87mph. To put this into perspective, the impact of a child being struck by a vehicle at 27mph, is equivalent to the child falling from a third floor window.”
At the other end of the scale the highest recorded speed in a 70mph speed limit in Warwickshire was 130mph on a motorway.
He added: “These statistics are shocking because we know the risk of death or serious injury goes up even with modest increases in speed. This means that it is not just the extreme speeders who increase the risk, we all increase the risk if we go even slightly over the limit.
“Speed limits help protect the public as speed plays a part in every death and injury on our roads. The higher the speed the harder the collision and the greater the risk of death and injury.
“We are asking all drivers on all roads to please slow down and drive within the speed limit and according to the road conditions.”
Other activities included Road Safety Assemblies, virtual talks delivered to schools by SNTs in partnership with Warwickshire County Council Road Safety Education Team.
SNTs in Rugby also conducted speed checks across the borough including Crick Road, where 67 vehicles were checked of which four were over the 30mph speed limit. Strong words of advice were given to a driver about his position while overtaking cyclists.
Rugby liaised with local parish councils to set up Community Speedwatch groups and also supply ‘slow’ stickers for residents to place onto their wheelie bins.
Rugby SNT in support of The British Horse Society’s road safety awareness campaign visited equestrian centres to engage with riders and put up ‘Dead? Or Dead Slow?’ signs at the entrances. Speed checks were also conducted outside Willow Farm, Bretford, Castle Farm and Woodbine Stables in Grandborough.
Kenilworth SNT conducted speed checks in the town and Warwick SNT conducted school parking checks around Myton School and Warwick School to educate parents about keeping children safe by parking safely and away from the school gates.
Warwick Rural SNT conducted speed checks on Southam Road, Radford Semele, where 17 vehicles were recorded exceeding the 30mph speed limit. A total of 16 warning letters will be sent to motorists, including a coach driver. The SNT will continue to focus on locations of concern as highlighted by the recent Community Forum.
The SNT also provided Cubbington Primary, Radford Semele Primary and OLST Primary with the road safety assembly video from WCC Road Safety Education Team with a request to show the video to their pupils.
Leamington Spa SNTs conducted speed enforcement in the South Leamington area. Further checks were carried out across the district.
Stratford SNTs conducted speed checks around the Tiddington Road area, and other locations around Stratford. Warnings were given to several vehicles to educate drivers to change behaviours.
Visit https://youtu.be/0MoP3c_-oYg to watch the virtual Road Safety Assembly.
