Partners respond to Community Concerns over Determined Speeding Behaviour (07/11/08)

As a result of complaints from residents in and around the Outland Road area a stretch of this road was recently subject to mobile speed enforcement.

Residents of the area approached the Police regarding the behaviour of some early morning commuters driving through their community. PC Ian Tanner said “Across the Force area communities are highlighting issues they want dealt with, and for many of them anti social and high speed driving represent a significant concern. This enforcement is to address these complaints and make to roads of Plymouth safer for all road users”

Cars and motorbikes were monitored in both directions and, whilst the majority were found to be complying with the speed limit, there was a small minority who chose to drive with no regard for the safety of others by reaching speeds of nearly twice the legal limit despite the presence of safety cameras adjacent to a school.

MPC Geoff Harding, Supervisor Plymouth & Bodmin Speed Detection Units, said “Those who drive at these excessive speeds show a complete disregard for the law and the safety of other road users”

A spokesperson for the Safety Camera Partnership said “We continue to evolve our approach to slowing people down to reduce the number of injury collisions. In the last few years we have introduced speed awareness courses and warning letters. These provide education for those drivers who occasionally stray above the limit and an opportunity to change their ways rather than being prosecuted. However there are some who refuse to respond to this approach and drive without regard for those who comply with road safety legislation. In this case we are talking about speeds approaching twice the legal limit through an area of pedestrian use and for them it would seem that there is no alternative but prosecution.”

A recent report on road casualties, issued by the Department for Transport, showed Plymouth City Council to be the fourth safest Highway Authority in England. This is attributed to the City’s partnership approach to delivering road safety by working closely with local communities, the Police and the Safety Camera Partnership.

A spokesperson from the Plymouth City Council said, “In Plymouth we have dramatically reduced the number of injury collisions within the city in recent years. Partnership working between the various agencies and the community has played a significant part in this; however we need to continue to address ongoing problems as there is no acceptable level of death and injury on our roads. Most drivers and riders respond to campaigns and education aimed at reducing inappropriate and excessive speed, some however need a more punitive reminder of their responsibility as a road user.”

Mobile Safety Cameras will continue to be deployed to address these problems when they are highlighted by intelligence from the community and data analysis from the road safety partners.