A Community Speedwatch scheme could be up and running in Swanage before Christmas 2024 after a meeting with Dorset Police revealed a strong desire for safer roads in town – especially near schools.
Although only a dozen people attended the meeting at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Victoria Avenue, Swanage, on Wednesday 20th November 2024, organisers were convinced the town could achieve the criteria for setting up a scheme.
Janice Beck and Maria Attwood of Dorset Police gave residents advice on setting up their own speedwatch scheme
Initial aim to raise speed awareness
With an initial aim to raise awareness of speed on roads used by pupils of The Swanage School and St Mark’s CE Primary School, speed gun teams could be set up around Jubilee Road, upper High Street, Kings Road West and Victoria Avenue.
A minimum of five operators will need to be trained to record vehicle speeds and registration numbers. After that, warning letters could be sent out to motorists who exceed 35 mph in the area – and even fines when the speedwatch team is accompanied by a police officer.
Longer term aims in West Swanage may include new pedestrian crossings around the terrible ‘triangle’ near Costcutter where children are often seen walking across the road, dodging vehicles moving in different directions.
And it is possible that once 12 months of traffic data has been collected, if speeding and safety seem to be repeated problems, the introduction of a 20 mph limit might be requested from Dorset Council’s highways department.
The main road into Swanage passes St Mark’s CE Primary School and The Swanage School
“It is up to the community to decide”
Swanage town councillor Cliff Sutton, who helped to facilitate the meeting with Dorset Police Community Speedwatch officers, said:
“I sit on the traffic management advisory committee, which is interesting because Swanage Town Council doesn’t have responsibility for highways.
“That’s the remit of Dorset Council, and the police do the enforcement for speeding offences, so our only role is to document problems with roads and speak to county highways to try to get it resolved.
“But we are also here to gauge the appetite for a speedwatch scheme, which would be a community project – and so it is up to the community to decide whether they want to take it forward, and not the council.
“There has been a lot of talk recently about road safety in Swanage, especially around our schools and a community speedwatch team in Swanage would allow people to target areas they feel are dangerous, making our roads a safer place for everyone.”
Langton Matravers’ Community Speedwatch team achieved a 20 mph limit through the village
“Might want to apply for a 20 mph zone”
Cliff Sutton added:
“A Community Speedwatch team would also start collecting data and after at least 12 months might want to apply to Dorset Council for a 20 mph for certain roads, as Langton Matravers successfully has.
“It is not automatic, you could build up your data and submit it to Dorset Council only for them to turn round and say it wasn’t deserving of a 20 mph zone, but they could put speed bumps in, or traffic calming or a pelican crossing.
“Nothing is automatic, but without the speed watch data you are never going to get a 20 mph zone introduced.”
Studland has also set up a Community Speedwatch team recently
“Doing your bit to combat speeders”
Police Community Speedwatch coordinator Maria Attwood told the meeting:
“We have been invited along to speak to you about community speedwatch, which is about stepping up and letting us know that you have a problem with speeding in the area.
“We need to know how bad it is, where it is, what times of the day it happens. The only way we can collect that data is through enforcement – but we have just four enforcement vans across the whole of Dorset.
“So because we have limited resources, we are reliant on the community identifying problems and collecting data, and that’s where you come in – it is very much local residents doing your bit to combat the speeders.
“People become our eyes and ears at the roadside, you become very visible reminders to drivers at the roadside that they need to be more speed aware.
“Community Speedwatch is focussed on educating drivers to be much more mindful of speeding, and if they see a bunch of yellow jackets at the side of the road their instant reaction is to slow down.
“We currently have 84 Community Speedwatch teams active across the whole of Dorset with 1,300 volunteers, who are a hugely valuable asset to Dorset Police. Imagine that many extra police officers, wouldn’t we live in a different world?”
Speed guns and yellow jackets have been effective in bringing down speeds in Langton Matravers
“A mark of the scheme’s success
Maria Attwood added:
“We will train you in health and safety and in roadside protocol, and provide you with a speed gun which only displays speed, it doesn’t record any video or take photos.
“Your team has to record the number plate of any vehicle travelling at 35 mph or more, and the driver will then get an advisory letter from us. If they are caught again by any Dorset team within 18 months, they will get a second letter which is more strongly worded.
“For a third time offender, the letter is printed off and hand delivered by one of our uniformed police officers in the No Excuse team, who will turn up to the person’s address in a marked traffic car and have strong words with the person involved.
“Every year we send out thousands of first offence letters, hundreds of second offence letters, but letter three will barely hit double figures which is a good indication of how successful community speedwatch is.
“The number of people killed or seriously injured on Dorset roads is dropping year on year, which is a really important figure for us and another mark of the scheme’s success.”
Swanage’s 30 mph speed limit may eventually be lowered to 20 mph along roads near schools
“Try it and see if you make a difference”
Community Speedwatch enforcement officer Janice Beck said that as well as training a new Swanage team, she would be able to join them on occasions, and while volunteers only monitored speed, she was able to use a speed calibrated laser and issue fines to offenders.
Janice Beck said:
“Being of a very positive mind, I am going to say that we can set up a community speedwatch in Swanage – I want this to happen here, and be assured you will be very well supported, we will bend over backwards to make it easy for you.
“I will be honest, you will get people wave at you with less than five fingers, you will get people shouting words at you that would make my mother’s hair curl, but that is the extent of it.
“If you are sceptical, why don’t you just try it and see if you can make a difference? If you go out once a week over a three month period, on the first session you may catch 10 people speeding, but after a while you may struggle to find even one – people will be looking for the yellow jackets and moderating their speed.
“Over a maximum of four sites in Swanage, you can monitor traffic in both directions, prioritise areas with school children and elderly people, and even coordinate with Studland, Langton Matravers and Corfe Castle to set up a day when all four enforcement teams are in Purbeck.”
Further information
- More information on Community Speedwatch on the Dorset Road Safe website
