Newbury Weekly News

Action to tackle speeding drivers

Speedwatch scheme roll-out across the region

- By JONATHAN ASHBY jonathan.ashby@newburynew­s.co.uk @jonathana_nwn

A SPEEDWATCH scheme has been launched across the Thames Valley with the hope of reducing speeding within communitie­s.

The scheme follows a successful pilot which ran in small areas of Buckingham­shire and Oxfordshir­e earlier this year.

New Speedwatch groups are being invited to take part in activities to both tackle and improve road safety across the region.

As part of this work, they will have the opportunit­y to borrow speed detection equipment and devices, helping trained volunteers to assist in the battle against speeding motorists.

Thames Valley police and crime commission­er Matthew Barber said: “I want to embed Community Speedwatch as a core part of Thames Valley’s response to road safety.

“The work that the volunteers of this scheme do is vital to the wider strategy to keep everyone safe on our roads.

“We’re delighted with how the pilots have gone and that we can now open up this scheme to the rest of the Thames Valley.

“Community Speedwatch is just part of a strategy to keep us all safe.

“The data gathered by Community Speedwatch will now be immediatel­y visible to roads policing officers.

“The results from this work will lead into enforcemen­t action by the police, and even notify the DVLA of breaches that fall within

their jurisdicti­on.

“Undoubtedl­y the work of the volunteers on this scheme, in collaborat­ion with Thames Valley Police, is helping to save lives and keep people safe.”

TVP Community Speedwatch co-ordinator Pc Lee Turnham said: “Following a successful pilot period earlier this year, where we trialled a new system, the online training and support of volunteers has

enabled us to capture important data which in turn has helped police activity.

“The pilot scheme has been running since April and has proven to be a platform of which individual­s and the police are able to work seamlessly.

“To that end, I am really pleased that the new platform will now be rolled out across Thames Valley within the next three months.”

Before community teams are able to attend the roadside, they undergo a number of training sessions to ensure risk assessment­s have been completed and protocols have been adhered to.

For more informatio­n, visit https://www.thamesvall­ey-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/speedwatch/

Community Speedwatch is just part of a strategy to keep us all safe

 ?? ?? PCC Matthew Barber aims a speed gun
PCC Matthew Barber aims a speed gun

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