A CAMPAIGN to clamp down on motorists driving at dangerous
speeds through Richmondshire's rural villages has been hailed a
success.
Thanks to support from local communities, dozens of danger areas
have been targeted, and road policing officers have issued hundreds
of penalty notices for motoring offences.
Earlier this year, the Richmondshire Community Safety
Partnership (RCSP) invited local parishes to report "hotspot" areas
for speeding. To date, there have been 35 referrals, resulting in
the deployment of 19 data recorders and six flashing "speed matrix"
boards. Further deployments are planned over the next few months.
The equipment can establish how much of a problem speeding is, and
can be used to educate motorists to slow down. Where that doesn't
work, police can take formal enforcement action.
Residents were consulted about the partnership's top priorities
– and speeding came out as a clear issue of concern for
residents.
Sergeant John Lumbard, of North Yorkshire Police's Road Policing
Group, and a member of the RCSP Road Safety Group, said: "The
Richmond-based road policing officers have been targeting routes
where speed-related collisions are occurring, and as a result have
issued 730 penalty notices for motoring offences in the last six
months."
Councillor Michael Heseltine, Chairman of the RCSP Road Safety
Group, said: "I am delighted that we have been able to use the
equipment we purchased to gather and then feed back speeding
information to our communities. We are trying to educate road users
in the first instance – but where evidence suggests this isn't
working, the police can use enforcement methods."
Pat Wilson, RCSP Community Safety Manager, added: "One of the
key messages the partnership receives from our residents is the
matter of speeding in our villages. Working together we have put
resource into this area, giving ownership of local issues to local
residents and partners. I hope the message is getting through that
speeding in Richmondshire is simply not acceptable."
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Last updated:
28 January 2010