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North Wales Police’s Community Speedwatch scheme recently received funding from Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for North Wales Andy Dunbobbin’s Innovate to Grow initiative to purchase detection devices so that local people can record the speed of vehicles travelling through their community. The PCC visited the Community Speedwatch team at their base in the GoSafe Unit at North Wales Police Divisional HQ in St Asaph on the 13 November to meet staff and to learn about the schemes valuable part in helping to reduce speed and make communities safer in North Wales.
Community Speedwatch involves local volunteers monitoring traffic speeds in a local area. The main goal is to raise awareness about speeding and promote road safety. Volunteers use speed detection devices to check the speed of vehicles and record the details of those exceeding the speed limit. This information is then shared with North Wales Police, who may follow up with educational letters to the registered owners speeding vehicles. The initiative aims to encourage responsible driving and reduce accidents in communities.
With new communities regularly joining the programme the project is growing throughout North Wales. The funding from the PCC has been used to buy three new detection devices which will be used in communities in North Wales and will help further grow the project and encourage road safety.
During the visit PCC Andy Dunbobbin met with Community Speedwatch Manager John Morris. The PCC saw how the detection devices are used to detect speeding vehicles and how they promote road safety. He heard how the devices recently purchased are going to be used firstly in the communities of Llanferres and Henllan in the Vale of Clwyd. He also heard estimates that around 90% of drivers who receive a letter through their details being recorded by Community Speedwatch do not receive a further letter, proving the scheme’s effectiveness in encouraging people to slow down.
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin commented: “Road safety is a crucial part of my Police and Crime Plan. Road safety protects lives and schemes like this will hopefully help prevent potential riad accidents before they happen. Many of these incidents can be prevented through awareness and education, and that is why funding projects such as this is extremely important to me as Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales.”
Community Speedwatch manager, John Morris commented: “Community Speedwatch (CSW) is a national initiative where, in partnership with the police, members of communities use detection devices to monitor local vehicle speeds.
“The volunteers report drivers exceeding the speed limit to the police with the aim of educating drivers to slow down. Community Speedwatch does not result in prosecution itself. However, if a persistent speeding driver is identified through the scheme, police can use this evidence to act against them if required. If there is a persistent general speeding issue where highway improvements are required, such as speedbumps, the relevant agency will be contacted.
“To enable our volunteers to carry out their role effectively it’s vital that they have the correct equipment, and we are most grateful for the NWP PCC Andy Dunbobbin for providing us with three handheld speed detection devices for use by our teams of volunteers in communities, towns and cities across North Wales which will assist us greatly in changing driver behaviour and reducing thise killed and seriously injured on our roads”.
To learn more about Community Speedwatch and to get involved, visit: Community Speedwatch | North Wales Police