It is “really disappointing” that the current Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner is opposed to the rolling technology which tackles speeding head on, according to Liz Webster.
Wiltshire’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner has said: “I fully support anything we can do…. to make our roads a safer place for everyone”. He also conceded that speeding is the third largest cause of fatal accidents, said the Lib Dem prospective candidate for the Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner post.
“Speeding tends to be habitual and there are now new technological solutions which can make our communities safer. The Wiltshire Council Malmesbury Area Board, where I live, took the progressive decision to install four Auto Speed Watch cameras on rural roads notorious for speeding. These cameras automatically record number plates, times and dates, and, most importantly, the speed of vehicles passing them.
“In the 30 mph zones where the cameras have been placed, dozens of vehicles have been recorded repeatedly breaching 60mph, with many repeat offenders. In fact, the threshold of the speed being recorded by the cameras had to be raised from 35 mph to 40 mph because there were far too many instances of excessive speed for local community speed watch volunteers to keep up with.
“Speeding impacts communities risking the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and other motorists and is the cause of over a quarter of driving offences.
“Modern cameras are significantly cheaper to deploy and ensure more accurate data recording, identifying specific and repeat offenders who use our rural and village roads as racetracks. Some of these are clearly identified as commercial drivers.
“These systems provide a wealth of information and intelligence; one parish council is writing to the firms concerned and publishing the number plates of the worst offenders in an attempt to encourage people to change their ways,” Liz said.
She believes the Police can and should make use of the insightful information from the cameras, to warn the worst and most persistent offenders.
“It will make our communities safer. They can organise their own resources to be present at the times and locations where these offences take place repeatedly, and enforce the speed limit rather than the current random approach that delivers little change.”
She accused the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, and Conservative-controlled Wiltshire Council of ’ignoring the opportunity to make our rural road and communities safer’.
“If I and my Lib Dem colleagues are elected next May, we will take real action to embrace effective technology that delivers safety and enhances communities,” she promised.