Busybody neighbours, power-hungry councillors, the mocking sub-plot of a dozen episodes of The Archers and Midsomer Murders; you could say Community Speedwatch has a bit of an image problem. Is this what we want for Brill?
Community Speedwatch is a national initiative where proactive members of local communities join with the support and supervision of their local police to record details of speeding vehicles using approved detection devices. The impact of speeding cars through villages like Brill is not limited to fatalities and life-changing injuries (we have been lucky so far); it has a direct effect on quality of life as residents feel increasingly unsafe on their local roads and streets. We know this from our recent traffic management poll respondents to which voiced a sense of living with imminent disaster:
“I really do believe that it is a matter of time before someone gets seriously inured.” “I have witnessed way too many close calls and fear that someone will get hurt or worse if something isn’t done.”
Speedwatches believes that “intelligent, personalised education” of drivers is the answer to today’s speeding epidemic. Registered keepers of vehicles exceeding the speed limit are contacted, initially with a letter explaining the potential risks and consequences of their dangerous behaviour. Repeat offenders will receive a visit from the local police, irrespective of where they live. Focused enforcement and criminal prosecution may follow, based on the collated evidence. In summary: Community Speedwatch activity is “not about interfering with neighbours' behaviour; it is a proactive solution to improve the safety and quality of life for everyone in the community”.
But, at a time when Parish Council vacancies remain unfilled for over a year and The Brill Society struggles to find volunteers to open Brill Windmill to the public once a week, is there really the capacity and enthusiasm to make up a functioning Speedwatch team? How much easier it seems to spend tens of thousands imposing a 20mph limit and leave it to an illusionary Police presence to enforce!
Traffic management is one of Brill Parish Council’s more pressing issues. The dual problems of speeding cars and inconsiderate parking have been lurking in the shadows for many years now with various councils down the decades trying to find aesthetically-acceptable and cost-effective solutions. We believe the time has come to examine the evidence and make bold decisions which will really make a difference.
What do you think?
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