| Nearly a third of the 43
police forces in England and Wales are currently training villagers to use
speed guns and report drivers. |
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| The Community Speed Watch
Project... as it is officially known, was first introduced by Avon and
Somerset police in 2002 and has since been adopted by forces that include...
Lincolnshire: Cambridgeshire: Merseyside: West Yorkshire: Cheshire: and
Sussex. |
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| The demand among villagers to
join the programme is attributed to the rapid growth in rural
traffic. The biggest problem is said to be drivers who, having been
forced off major roads by congestion, are using rural roads as rat
runs. In many areas there is now a waiting list of villages to sign
up for the scheme. |
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| In Northamptonshire a
Community Speed Watch pilot scheme was launched in 2003 with five villages
and has been expanded to 29... with many more on the waiting list.
It is financed by a mixture of local authority funding and donations from
local communities that want to participate. |
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| The Northamptonshire Casualty
Reduction Trust Fund, which is operated by the county council and uses
money from speed-awareness courses, [which drivers caught by conventional
methods are forced to attend,] provides about £15,000 a year to the
initiative. |
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| Parish councils that want to
join the scheme must provide a list of at least 10 volunteers to local
police. The 10 are then trained to operate speed guns identical to
those used by police and kitted out with official-looking high-visibility
jackets. |
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| They are taught to work in
pairs, with one volunteer operating the gun and another noting down the
offending vehicle’s details, including... its speed, registration
number, make, model and colour. This information is passed to
police, who trace the driver and issue a warning letter. |
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| Opposing views. As
with many new initiatives... there is a marked difference in opinion
between Safety campaigners and Motoring organisations. As an
example... |
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| Joanne Sharp... a mother of
two young children who lives in Abthorpe... one of the latest villages in
Northamptonshire to join the scheme... was quoted as saying "People
persistently speed through the village and it’s a concern... I had a bit
of time on my hands so I volunteered to help. I’m not political
and I don’t want to be seen as a vigilante... but I hope the scheme’s
a success. When people see us they do slow down." |
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| On the other hand... there is
some disquiet among Motoring organisations who say... "traffic
management and road safety is too important a job to be left to
unaccountable amateurs." |
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| The organisations see the
mushrooming of a scheme that takes power away from police and puts it into
the hands of members of the public as further evidence that overstretched
constabularies are looking to offload their road-policing authority. |
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| Edmund King, of the RAC
Foundation, was quoted as saying... "The numbers of traffic police
have declined in the past decade and this process has been accelerated by
the reliance on speed cameras... a fixed camera or one held by a citizen
does nothing to address the problems of drink, drug or dangerous driving.
Arming village vigilantes is not a long-term solution. Rather than
tooling up pensioners we should be working on a fundamental solution to
the problems on our roads." |
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- The demographics of those taking part
are probably quite narrow?
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- They are only concentrating on a
single offence.
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- They can report everyone exceeding the
limit... even if they are driving safely.
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- They are mainly focused on one type of
road.
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- They need to coordinate their efforts
at a particular time.
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- They are relying on expensive
equipment... rather than utilizing their experience as drivers.
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- Information is probably??? not
gathered at any central point.
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- Their follow up strategy is limited
to... a warning letter.
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| With a Road Supervisor
scheme... |
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- The demographics would be very broad.
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- They could look out for every type of
offence... or be asked to look out for some very specific offences.
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- With a limited number of reports...
only the worst offenders would be reported.
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- They could keep an eye on every type
of road... motorways: A roads: B roads: residential streets: etc. etc.
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- They would be operating 24/7... as
they went about their everyday business.
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- This would utilize drivers'
experience... so could concentrate on dangerous, aggressive, selfish,
inconsiderate behaviour, etc. etc.
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- Information would be gathered at a
central point.
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- Information gathered would form the
basis of many different strategies to change behaviour, based on...
Motivation: Deterrents: Targeted Education: Social Pressure:
Enforcement and Punishment.
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| We do not believe that
empowering road users and being a driving enthusiast are
incompatible. Many driver take to the roads in high performance
cars... enjoy their driving experience... and never put anyone at risk...
because their driving is still safe, considerate and courteous.
While others cause danger and conflict every time they get behind the
wheel. |
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| The Bottom Line is...
it is in everyone's interest to get these individuals under control...
otherwise, the Authorities will use technology to get everyone under their
control! |
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