I have spoken many times about my admiration for people who offer their time, free of charge, to improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood in which they live. So it comes as no surprise to me that in 2023, volunteers put 1,630 hours into Community Speedwatch, the equivalent of 68 days.

As a result, 5,032 letters were sent to drivers who were recorded over the speed limit to remind them of their responsibilities. After that initial contact, it was only necessary to send follow-up warnings to less than 6% of that number. Demonstrating, to my mind, the benefit of visual community engagement through the Community Speedwatch (CSW) programme.

As much of my inbox is taken up with complaints and concerns about speeding, I would like to thank all those volunteers who took part during that period and again throughout 2024. The figures for the last twelve months should be available soon and I imagine they will indicate no less a level of commitment.  

The work carried out by CSW groups in providing crucial speed data is a vital tool in the overall objective of making our roads safer by means of education and the visual reminder of speed limits. It assists the Constabulary’s enforcement teams and allows officers to focus on the so-called county ‘hotspots’, synchronising their activity to the time when drivers habitually ignore the warning.

Policing our roads is most effective when we work in partnership - with partners, other agencies and most importantly, the public. We want our roads to be as safe as possible and to avoid at all costs the devastating consequences that illegal and inappropriate speeding has on victims, families, friends and communities. Community Speedwatch interventions remind motorists of the importance of complying with the signed speed limit in a fair, open and transparent way, giving them an opportunity to reflect on and modify their driving behaviour without fear of prosecution. While prosecution remains a legitimate and necessary outcome for speeding motorists, I would much rather see more compliance, more of the time, by more drivers.

The contribution volunteers have made to the CSW programme was recently recognised by the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, Jo Shiner, who paid tribute to the important role they play in overall roads safety. I echo those sentiments in adding my own personal praise and thanks.