The Middlesbrough road plagued with speeding drivers leaving ‘pets killed and child in hospital’
A Middlesbrough street has been plagued by speeding drivers leading to a spate of accidents. In recent years, residents on Valley Road, in Grove Hill[1], have seen cars damaged and written off due to motorists speeding down the narrow street, while family pets have been killed and a child needed hospital treatment after being hit by a vehicle. A new scheme targeting the racing motorists has been introduced on the residential road.
Those found to be speeding will be warned by police and if a driver is caught speeding again, enforcement action can be taken. Grove Hill resident Karen Willis said: “I have lived on Valley Road for over 10 years and speeding has always been an issue. I walk a lot, on some occasions, speeding cars come too close to the pavements.
“If drivers lose control and veer onto the pavements, it could cause serious injuries to any pedestrians or cyclists in the immediate vicinity. There are lots of children that play in the area too. I’d urge people to drive with consideration.
“We should be safe on our own street. I am pleased that we are part of the Community Speedwatch scheme and that our concerns are being listened to. I hope this is the first of many actions to stop the speeding and the accidents.”
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Community Speedwatch is a national project that encourages residents to volunteer to work with their local police force to help log the speed of drivers in their area, using approved detection devices. People living on Valley Road will now work alongside housing provider Thirteen, Cleveland Police[6] and Middlesbrough[7] Council. Jayne Dale, community development co-ordinator at Thirteen said: “We’ve listened to the concerns raised by residents on Valley Road and we are supporting them with the Community Speedwatch scheme.
Through our partner work with Cleveland Police and Middlesbrough Council[8] we’ve been able to help residents to bring the national scheme into the local area. “We’ve started a community group called Keeping Grove Hill Safe too, and we’ll continue to work together, alongside our partners, to keep residents safe.” Inspector Chris Hartshorne from Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We are working with the community who have voiced their concerns about speeding in the area and the local authority to understand the scale of the problem and to tackle those who speed on our roads.
“Community Speedwatch takes place around the Cleveland area and gives us chance to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding prior to taking enforcement action if needed.” Councillor Theo Furness, who represents Park ward on Middlesbrough Council, said: “Local residents know their local roads and the issues that affect them better than anyone, so it’s right that they’re at the heart of any safety initiatives. “The Community Speedwatch scheme will have a positive impact on this area, and it’s a blueprint I’m sure would be welcomed in other parts of the town. We will work closely with our engineers both to reduce speed limits and introduce traffic calming measures where possible.”
Fellow Park ward member Cllr Edward Clynch added: “Speeding drivers on Valley Road have been putting lives in danger for too long, so it’s great to see the community’s concerns have led to real and constructive action.
I hope motorists will change their behaviour – if they don’t, enforcement action will follow.”
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References
- ^ Grove Hill (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
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- ^ can read our Privacy Notice (www.reachplc.com)
- ^ Click here to join our WhatsApp community (chat.whatsapp.com)
- ^ Cleveland Police (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Middlesbrough (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Middlesbrough Council (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.gazettelive.co.uk)