Volunteers’ roadside campaign to cut speeding in Wellingborough
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These volunteers in hi-vis are working hard to cut speeding on Wellingborough’s roads. While the team may be small in number, every hour they spend out and about on the town’s roads is crucial in getting drivers to think about their speed. Liz Coombe started coordinating Wellingborough’s Community Speedwatch scheme five years ago, but it is only recently that they’ve been able to get out again after it was suspended for two years due to Covid.
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They cover several areas of Wellingborough, with more being added including Croyland and Hatton new for this year.
Liz told the Northants Telegraph: “It is not about catching people but about getting them to slow down and think about the impact of speeding near schools etc.” Community Speedwatch is a national initiative where members of local communities join with the support and supervision of their local police to record details of speeding vehicles using approved detection devices.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.
Some of Wellingborough’s Community Speedwatch team
The work of the Wellingborough volunteers is invaluable, but they are always looking to increase their numbers – more volunteers mean they can get out more and spread the message about speeding further.
Liz said: “We do it because people have asked us to do it. “It only really requires the commitment of an odd hour or two and even the training now is online. “It would be great if we could be out much more than we are, but that is purely down to lack of volunteers.”
Some of Wellingborough’s Community Speedwatch team in action
Since getting back out on Wellingborough’s roads, Liz said that generally most people are not significantly over the speed limit and do slow down when they see the signs and hi vis.
But it doesn’t take much to increase the risk of serious injury or even death when you’re behind the wheel.
Speeding is one of the Fatal Four alongside drink/drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone at the wheel – these are the motoring offences which are most commonly linked to death or serious injury on the roads.