- Interactive speed signs show drivers their speed
- Used by Community Speedwatch groups
- Drivers react instantly
- Commissioner invests in 6 new signs
Flashing interactive roadside speed signs are being rolled out around the county to make drivers more aware of their speed.
The signs -which flash up a car’s speed as it approaches- have been bought by the Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl under his priority for safe and social driving. Mr Surl said,
“Communities have an important role to play in helping to spread road safety messages around the county, so making equipment such as flashing speed signs available to Community Speedwatch groups helps them to influence driver behaviour for the better”
“We began with one sign, which was piloted in the Forest of Dean, where it proved to be a successful way of positively reinforcing speed restrictions in high risk areas.
“Following the success of the scheme, I have recently purchased six more of the signs, to be used by the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership and the 200 community speed watch groups around the county.”
This week the newly formed Bourton-on-the-Water Community Speedwatch group have been using one of the signs, in an area where speeding is a known problem.
Co-ordinator of the group Richard Vann, hailed the sign “a very useful piece of kit” and observed many drivers instantly reacting as they saw their speed flash up on roads around the village.
In a 75 minute period, he witnessed 33% of the 298 vehicles which passed the sign on Rissington Road, were travelling at speeds above the limit of 30 MPH. 1% of those were driving at speeds above 40 MPH.
Mr Vann said,
“The sign has already started to provide valuable confirmation of our thoughts on Village speeding.
“Mr Surl has purchased a useful piece of equipment which requires far less resource than the usual speedwatch activity.”
For more information on interactive road signs and Community Speedwatch visit: http://roadsafety-gloucestershire.org.uk/
