Scheme lets residents help nab speeders (From Swindon Advertiser)

Scheme lets residents help nab speeders

9:30am Saturday 4th February 2012 in News By Katie Bond

Tom Pepperal and Alan Pflegerl of Lydiard Millicent taking part in a Community Speed Watch scheme

A SCHEME which gives local people the power to help reduce traffic speeds in their community is being launched this month.

Community Speed Watch has been running successfully in the Wiltshire Council catchment area for the past two and a half years and on February 22, Swindon Council will launch the initiative in Blunsdon.

It will see members of the public highlighting to their local councillors the areas where speeding is a concern.

The area will then be investigated and speed strips put across the road to measure how fast the traffic is travelling.

If it is found that the site meets the criteria for Community Speed Watch, a small group of volunteers are put through their paces in how to use speed devices.

Lara Hill, of Swindon Council, who has been responsible for setting up the initiative, said: “Some people may feel their road is ideal for this, but very often people have a perception of speeding when in fact it isn’t actually a problem, which is why we have to put the speed strips down first.

“The area needs to be between specific junctions, or lampposts or house numbers, and also it is worth considering bends in the road.

“You have really got to think about where you are going to put the strips and in some areas there aren’t pavements so it wouldn’t be safe.”

Volunteers are provided with special equipment and trained by police officers in the use of hand-held speed devices so they can record the speed of passing vehicles.

Motorists caught speeding by volunteers are sent a warning letter from the police and persistent offenders will receive a visit from the police.

North Locality Insp Charlie Ducker said: “Community Speed Watch gives people a sense of self-worth. “They are putting something back in to reducing the speed problem in their street.

“It is definitely a very positive scheme and it does have an effect on reducing speed and that can only be a good thing.”

For more information contact the council on 01793 466506 or email csp@swindon.gov.uk.