Thousands speed - not one is fined
More than 30,000 drivers have been caught speeding through villages in two years – but not one has been fined.
Village volunteers armed with speed guns recorded drivers breaking speed limits, but as the motorists were caught by civilians, they cannot be fined or given penalty points on their licence.
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Petra King and Peter Goodwin
Instead, up to 400 warning letters a week are being sent out by police.
Villagers said, while the scheme, called community speedwatch, was a deterrent, the only real way to make a difference was speed cameras.
Peter Goodwin has been running a scheme in Burton Lazars, near Melton, for the past four weeks, which has so far found 350 speeding motorists.
He said: "These are only temporary deterrents. In my view, the only real way to stop people is to have a speed camera, so people who are caught pay £60 and have three points on their licence.
"I hear what people say – that they are only money-raising devices – but I think, in some places, they are needed. Villages are the right place to have them.
"Here, it's a 40mph limit, but we've had cars going though at 81mph, 73mph and 72mph."
John Bairstow, of Old Dalby, near Melton, said: "People will slow down if they see villagers with speed guns.
"That will have an effect and it is a good warning system, but speed cameras in villages would be a very good thing."
In three weeks, villager Chris Redding helped catch 200 speeding drivers in Castle Donington.
He believes the amateur speed traps are not enough to stop speeding drivers.
He said: "In the short term, it was great, but as soon as we packed up the camera and the fluorescent jackets, the speeds started to creep up again."
Leicestershire County Council's community speedwatch scheme has been run in 90 villages over the past two years.
Villagers concerned about the speed of traffic are given a hand-held radar gun and high-visibility jackets to monitor traffic for a set period, usually a few weeks.
Speedwatch co-ordinator Mike Wilson said: "30,000 in the time we have been going is a lot, and that is a worry. It shows speeding is still a very serious problem.
"We recognise there needs to be some teeth to the system. Where volunteers identify a genuine problem, the police will go out with their cameras for enforcement. They have been to more or less all the sites we have."
The results of the volunteer speed checks are also used to determine where traffic-calming measures are installed.
Lesley Panton, of the police traffic unit, said she believed speedwatch was getting its message across.
She said: "People get a warning letter if they are caught and another if they do it again. A third offence means a police officer knocking on your door if you live in Leicestershire, but that happens very rarely."
In Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves, more than 2,000 drivers have been caught breaking the speed limit.
Peter Crankshaw, of Woodhouse Traffic Action Group, said: "By and large, I think drivers are slowing as a result of what we have done, but there will always be a minority who couldn't care less."
Are speed cameras the answer? E-mail the Leicester Mercury to let us know what you think.
17 Comments
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by bishop, billesdon
Tuesday, March 31 2009, 8:32AM
“in the old days, people used to speed in their horse and carts through villages much as cars do today. Here in Billesdon, villagers would hearl fruit, eggs,toads, even stones to protest. Maybe we could do the same today, but with paintball guns, catapults or even fresh roadkill, to allow for the increase in velocity! I think it could work pretty well.”
by Leicester resident, Leicester
Monday, March 30 2009, 2:20PM
“Perhaps the Government could reap back the appalling amounts of money they have squandered on bailing out the banks, by enforcing some of the penalties we have for breaking the law. I am sure most people would appreciate some funds being raised through fines to those people who think nothing of breaking our laws. I admire these residents for trying to prove a point. Perhaps the money raised through fines could be offset against the cost to you and me for our admirable police force. You never know, there may even be a surplus to pay the Home Secretary's satellite television bill!!”
by Bobbi, LE1
Monday, March 30 2009, 1:49PM
“AJ, a bit of a sweeping generalisation, don't you think?”
by anon, Leicester
Monday, March 30 2009, 1:08PM
“AJ, so delivery vans don't pay road tax then??
THey should stick a permanent camera there and use the funds generated to educate drivers and place more traffic calming measures in the dangerspots”
by Mark, Leicester
Monday, March 30 2009, 1:06PM
“Just a point for AJ, (I work for a Auto company in the field of suspension systems design).
Modern cars are designed for speed ramps and driving over them at speed should not cause damage - only discomfort to the passengers.
You will cause more wear-and-tear trying to brake - it's better for the car to accelerate over them.”
by AJ, Leicester, Leics
Monday, March 30 2009, 12:34PM
“Can I also point out that the speed ramps designed to slow everyone down actually do not slow those drivers down who do most of the speeding during the day. Worst of all are van drivers and delivery drivers all of whose vehicles go straight over them whilst the poor old motorist who pays road tax gets suspension destroyed, even my local garage has never seen so do many suspension adjustments since the introduction. Yes something needs to be done to slow traffic down through villages, but there is no perfect answer. Speed cameras just annoy people who see the government getting extra revenue, so perhaps we do need more mobile policing.”
by John Stitch, Leicester Town
Monday, March 30 2009, 11:45AM
“Anstey teacher - let's hope that your ignorance of the reason for not speeding in the first place is now finally learnt. Why should it take a speed camera to get you to slow down - shouldn't you just not be breaking the law in the first place ?”
by anon, leicester
Monday, March 30 2009, 11:28AM
“Whilst i agree that speed camera's DO slow people down, they do then only speed up once they have passed them. Surely if these residents are catching so many speeders, the police should e looking at putting a permanent fixed camera in place? Also, check the OFFICIAL stats on Leicestershire Road Safety Website (http://www.speedorsafety.com/freedom-of-information/ under information, downloads and links, last link)- it lists numbers of deaths before and after a speed camera has been erected; in quite a few cases the number of deaths has INCREASED! Now how can they justify the use of cameras in these spots? seems to me that in these cases the speed cameras are just being used to milk money off the motorist!”
by John Ryde, Newbold Verdon
Monday, March 30 2009, 11:21AM
“Dave, Loughborough...... and your point is?”
by Sherry, U.S.
Monday, March 30 2009, 11:14AM
“You need to put a cop sitting in his car with a speed gun to catch EVERY speeder and fine them. This should be done on a regular basis.After a while drivers know that there will be a cop sitting there and they WILL slow down. The cop should change his spot day to day. Thats how it works here and it doe's work.”