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Community Speedwatch is a
national initiative where proactive
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,
irrespective of where they live.
Beyond these friendly gestures,
focused enforcement and criminal
prosecution follow based on the
collated evidence.
CSW Online operates nationally on behalf of the police and communities to organise and join up Speedwatch activity. The organisation coordinates responses based on the collated data from all groups involved. Speeding is not just a local phenomenon - and neither is Speedwatch.
Speeding is everyone's concern
Frustrations with apparent lack of interest by the police in dangerous levels of speeding is widespread and felt everywhere. There is, however, no cynicism involved, only lack of funding, resources, and a political reluctance to prioritise unintentional killing over or on par with intentional killing. Although more people are killed in traffic than in all other crimes combined, we need to keep in mind that road deaths are a biproduct of a colossal number of miles driven by millions of road users every day. Murder is a very different story.
That does not excuse - or make the death, destruction, injuries, grief, and devastation by a traffic collision any more acceptable. Speed kills, end of story. Speeding is antisocial, and collisions caused by driving too fast for the circumstances are wholly avoidable. But where do we start? Prevent the automotive industry from selling cars that can exceed the national maximum speed limit, and accelerate at atrociously short times? Change the road infrastructure? Throw fines at the 52% of drivers who admit to speeding? Confiscate and crush their vehicles? We believe that intelligent, personalise education is the answer to solve the problem for most offenders, especially if we can mass-organise the recording of driver details.
Meanwhile, people die needlessly in avoidable crashes caused by inattentive or antisocial drivers. In most of the rest of the country, residents feel unsafe using their local roads, their quality of life is diminished, and half of the UK population is angered by the fact that not many seem to be bothered, or even worse: they just talk and write reports with no or little effect or change.
Speedwatch activity is not about interfering with neighbours' behaviour; it is a proactive solution to improve the safety and quality of life for everyone in their local community.
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