Thousands ignore town speed limits

By Ian Dipple 17/08 Updated: 17/08 09:39

Buy photos » Alan Walker, chairman of Rycknield Residents Panel, Redditch MP Karen Lumley and Coun Juliet Bruner join PC Paul Downes to carry out speed testing on Icknield Street Drive. Picture by Marcus Mingins 3212010MMR.

A SPEED camera could be installed along one of the busiest roads in Redditch after figures revealed more than 30,000 vehicles have been caught breaking the limit.

West Mercia Safer Roads Partnership is considering the move along Icknield Street Drive as part of its Community Concern programme, which allows a temporary mobile camera to be used in places where there is a known speeding problem but not necessarily a significant accident or casualty record.

Earlier this year a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS), which flashes up a reminder of the speed limit when a vehicle approaches travelling too fast, was placed on the road and revealed during a four week period 30,669 vehicles activated it by going over the 40mph limit.

The sign was also used on the nearby section of the Warwick Highway which runs from the Morrison’s island towards the A435 and which was activated a staggering 138,892 times.

Coun Juliet Brunner, who helped buy the sign with money from her divisional fund along with fellow county councillor for the area Gay Hopkins, said the figures were ‘extremely alarming’.

“The residents have raised this at PACT (Partners and Communities Together) meetings and I have seen it myself. Vehicles travel far too fast on both these roads and these figures clearly show they are speeding hotspots and we have had people killed and injured along Icknield Street Drive,” she said.

“Drivers who speed through our streets need to be aware the community are not prepared to let this continue.”

Local Policing Officer PC Paul Downes carried out speed checks using a hand-held device along Icknield Street Drive last Tuesday (August 7) but less than a handful were found to be speeding but most slowed down when they saw speed checks were being carried out.

A spokeswoman for West Mercia Safer Roads Partnership said they had already been asked to look at speed enforcement along Icknield Street Drive and it was being considered as part of the Community Concern programme.

“We haven’t been approached about speeding issues on Warwick Highway, but we will certainly look into it if we are approached by the local council. When considering any new speed enforcement site, we always collect speed data in the area and can only act upon the data collected by ourselves.”