News Item - News - Surrey Police

Community Speedwatch launched across the county

Submitted: 17/02/2006 11:43:33

COMMUNITY Speedwatch is today being formally launched as part of the Surrey Police Surrey Road Standards initiative to tackle anti-social behaviour on the county’s roads.

The Speedwatch schemes, run locally by volunteers supported by Surrey Police, aim to re-educate drivers about the dangers of speeding, as well as address residents’ concerns about inappropriate speed, improve quality of life for local communities and reduce traffic noise and pollution.

Motorists who exceed the speed limit on rural and urban roads are often unaware of the impact their actions have on communities or other road users or of the dangers they are exposing themselves to. Community Speedwatch, as well as reminding car drivers and motorcyclists to watch their speed and keep to the speed limit, enables local people to take an active role in making their communities safer.

By working with the police and local authorities, residents identify areas of concern and are given full support in setting up and managing a Community Speedwatch scheme in their neighbourhood. At least six volunteers, who contribute a minimum of an hour a week, are required to set up a Speedwatch scheme. All volunteers are provided with specific training on how to use the equipment, safe working procedures for using the speed detection equipment, how to monitor the speed of vehicles safely and advice on dealing with enquiries from other road users.

The volunteers work in pairs at an identified location selected by local communities in consultation with Surrey Police, provided they are within 30 mph and 40 mph limits. They record speeds of motorists in a log and offenders travelling at excess speeds will be identified from the data provided and sent a ‘yellow’ letter of advice which will also ask for their co-operation in the future.

A maximum of two warning letters, along with safety information, will be sent to offenders and if they are caught speeding again, they will be targeted for enforcement by police, where appropriate. The aim, however, is for the presence of the Speedwatch volunteers out on the streets to make drivers think twice about their driving habits and slow down.

East Surrey Neighbourhood Superintendent Jerry Westerman said:

“Surrey Police spend a great deal of time listening to local communities and one concern that they frequently raise is about vehicles travelling at excessive speeds through their neighbourhoods. Community Speedwatch is a great way for Surrey Police to work together with communities to target these concerns and it gives residents the opportunity to get actively involved in helping to make Surrey’s roads safer.

“The role of enforcement is of course still one for Surrey Police and we will continue to take action against speeding drivers on our roads. What the Speedwatch initiative is primarily about is re-educating drivers and giving them a chance to think about and change their driving behaviour. It has been very well received by residents in the areas where it has already been launched and I would encourage anyone who is interested in starting up a scheme to get in contact with their local Casualty Reduction Officer.”

Mole Valley was one of two boroughs that Community Speedwatch was piloted in, with the first scheme launched in Boxhill in February 2005. Since then four other schemes have been started in the borough; Leigh, Brockham, Westcott and Headley. Over the past year over 3,200 letters have been sent to speeding drivers; eight percent of these were to repeat offenders.

Mole Valley Casualty Reduction Advisor Ken Wheeler said:

“The fact that only a small number of the letters sent out have been to repeat offenders would indicate that we are having an impact on the behaviour of drivers in the borough. The very presence of the volunteers is often enough for drivers to think twice about their speed and the letters certainly reinforce the message. However, if drivers do not take notice then they will be targeted for enforcement and we currently have the names of five people who have been caught more than twice who we will now be actively looking to catch speeding.

“The scheme has been a success in the Mole Valley and has proved very popular with local residents. Hopefully we can build on this success and see the scheme continue to expand in the future.”