Road Safety Campaign Launched

1 April 2013, 09:24 | Updated: 1 April 2013, 09:30

Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner has launched a new campaign to keep the county's roads safe.

Worried about speeding through your village, street or neighbourhood? You can now take matters into your own hands by volunteering to run a Community DriveSafe scheme, supported by your local police.
 
Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd’s Community DriveSafe launches today.  It is the first initiative from his new Police and Crime Plan for Hertfordshire which goes live today. Residents and local businesses alike can get involved in the scheme – which is designed to give people the opportunity to take an active role in making their communities safer.
 
DriveSafe is primarily for road safety education and raising awareness of speeding, with motorists receiving a warning letter but, if issues aren’t resolved by local people taking action themselves, the Safer Neighbourhood police team can step in to carry out speed enforcement, which means drivers can be fined or even prosecuted.

Commissioner David Lloyd said: “Speeding is a real concern to a lot of people. I’ve been told by countless residents, in both rural and more built up areas, that they are fed up with seeing reckless motorists driving above the speed limit and in a manner which leaves them feeling unsafe outside their homes. They are particularly concerned about vulnerable people, including their elderly neighbours and young children.
 
“Motorists driving too fast don’t always appreciate the fear, anger and frustration felt by pedestrians and householders. They are failing to respect the residents who live and work in these locations – and the law. I want to see people being empowered to do something for themselves about a serious issue that concerns them – and this is what Community DriveSafe will do.”

If ten or more residents or local businesses sign a petition expressing concern about motorists speeding in their area, and there are at least six volunteers to actively run it, the Police and Crime Commissioner has pledged to help them set up a DriveSafe scheme.  The road must already have a 30mph limit for safety reasons.  (If your road has a 40mph limit or above, please contact your Safer Neighbourhood Team.)
 
A police officer will assess the road for a suitable and safe location and the fully-trained volunteers issued with high-visibility jackets and roadside warning signs. They are trained by police officers on how to use speed detection equipment and to monitor the speed of vehicles.
 
They use a Speed Indicator Display Sign (SIDS) to tell motorists what speeds they were travelling. A smiling face indicates an acceptable speed, within the limit, and a sad face means the driver is going too fast and can expect a warning letter.

Head of the Constabulary’s Crime Reduction and Community Safety Department, Superintendent Andy McCracken, said: “Community DriveSafe is a scheme which gives local residents and businesses a chance to take charge of their local roads. The scheme is all about educating drivers around the dangers of speeding, however, we will not shy away from taking action against repeat offenders.

“Speeding is one of the priorities highlighted by residents across Hertfordshire and making our roads safer is a priority for the Constabulary and means getting tough on speeding motorists.”