Police forces across the country will begin two weeks of increased speed enforcement from Monday, focussing on locations where the issue is known to be prevalent.
The two-phase operation, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), has been timed to coincide with the easing of lockdown travel restrictions.
Phase one, which launched on 18 May, involves police forces sharing messages across social media and other platforms encouraging the public to slow down and save lives – in addition to normal enforcement activity.
Phase two gets underway on Monday (25 May) and will see forces step up visible speed enforcement activity for two weeks, focussing on roads and areas where speeding is ‘known to be an issue’.
The NPCC says the operation is an important way of highlighting the dangers of speeding, particularly when so many people have not been out on the roads for quite some time.
Chief constable Anthony Bangham, roads policing lead for NPCC, said: “Unsurprisingly, the lockdown saw very quiet roads. Many forces reported increased speeding in a general sense and some forces reported instances of very excessive speeding.
“Speeding kills, and driving within the speed limits makes our roads safer. Please slow down and save lives.”
Enforcement and education in West Mercia
As part of the campaign, West Mercia Police’s road safety team will be out and about in local communities taking part in a mixture of enforcement and educational initiatives.
Figures show in the last three years in West Mercia, 130 people were killed and 1,037 seriously injured in collisions where speeding or inappropriate use of speed is noted as a contributory factor.
Supt Mel Crowther, West Mercia Police, said: “Supporting this national campaign with local activities and increased enforcement is an important way of raising the issue and highlighting the dangers of speeding.
“With traffic volumes starting to gradually increase over the next few weeks we need to be doing all we can to keep our communities safe and especially during this time to reduce the impact on emergency services.”
I hope that includes Police officers who do 130mph in a 30 limit then get let off by calling it CPD, even if they are good drivers the laws of Newtonian physics still apply and when you hit someone at 40 you will probably kill them!
Henry
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Those who ‘thumb their noses’ at social distancing would no doubt thumb their noses at speed limits and other regulations as and when it suits them – not really much to do with speed limits being ‘too low’ or ‘badly signed’ either. It’s a general non-compliant attitude.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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Speed doesn’t kill – it’s a factor is about 10% of road collisions. Even so, if exceeding the limit is ‘prevalent’ maybe the limit is wrong or the road badly signed? Police time can be better spent on other things…………..
N, Milton Keynes
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Time & time again we’re seeing large groups of people thumbing their nose to social distancing, particularly on beaches & in parks during this fine weather. They say that speed kills. Well, I’ve got news for them. Covid does it better, and the police should be dealing with these potential mass murderers than building the government’s coffers up.
Exasperated, Wetherby
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