Motorists are being urged to check their speed, slow down and save lives in a new speeding crackdown.
Somerset County Council’s Road Safety Team and Avon and Somerset Police jointly support an anti-speeding campaign run by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
New ‘check your speed’ signs will appear in areas where there have been regular speeding concerns raised by communities. The current sites planned for these are past Berkley C of E Primary near Frome, through Cannington, the A359 through Wanstrow, the A358 through Donyatt and the B3139 from Watchfield to Wedmore.
These areas either have an active Community SpeedWatch, or there has been previous enforcement or engineering work in the area to resolve the problem. The Police will also target other areas where enforcement could help reduce speeds.
Whilst the campaign concludes on Sunday 8 August this is routine work for the Police. In Somerset, speeding was a contributing factor to around 24 per cent of collisions where someone was killed or seriously injured within the last five years, so please continue to check your speed.
Councillor John Woodman, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways said: “We are aware that people get very concerned about the speed of traffic, so we are very pleased to have worked with our partners, Avon and Somerset Police, and come up with a solution in areas where speeding has been an issue for a long time by using these signs for the first time in Somerset.”
Chief Inspector Jason Shears, Roads Policing Lead for Avon and Somerset Police says: “We are listening to our communities’ speeding concerns and working closely with our partners – including Somerset County Council, Community Speed Watch, Highways England and the fire services to find solutions. Based on information and footage provided by the public our teams are out targeting repeat offenders and speeding hotspots.
“Speeding is a choice that puts others’ lives at risk. Responsible/considerate drivers stay within the speed limits to keep themselves, their loved ones, and our communities safe.
“Members of the public can raise a community speed concern, upload dashcam footage, report information and find out how they can support our operations via our website: Community SpeedWatch | Avon and Somerset Police. Together we can tackle speeding drivers and make our roads safer.”
Somerset Road Safety provides advice to thousands every year through educational events; they run Bikeability courses for school children and train School Crossing Patrols. Please visit www.somersetroadsafety.org for more information and follow the team on social media – Somerset Road Safety on Facebook, @SCC_RoadSafety on Twitter and @somersetroadsafety on Instagram.