A new initiative to boost road safety across even more local communities has seen more than 2,200 speeding offences captured in just over 7 months.
In August last year, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Safer Roads Unit started deploying 2 police motorcyclists equipped with handheld laser and video speed detection devices, to help neighbourhood policing teams promote road safety and reduce serious collisions in roads identified by local communities.
These officers can target locations on motorcycles where it is difficult to deploy traditional speed camera vans, such as near schools and in rural areas.
The team has been incredibly effective and has recorded a shocking number of offences – more than 2,200 – so far.
What originally started as a trial has been so successful that they are now a permanent part of the team.
If local policing teams raise concerns about speeding in their communities, the Motorcycle Enforcement Team can deploy to help address the problem and provide reassurance to local residents that these concerns are being taken seriously.
Paul Freeman, who leads the team, has said:
“This new initiative has been a huge success. We have been able to respond to community concerns quicker and in places we haven’t been able to visit in the past.
Article continues below this advertisement “Bikes are a lot smaller than the speed camera vans, so can be parked almost anywhere. We can’t get the vans near a school for example, but the bikes can go everywhere. The agility and ability of the bikes means they can be parked where we need them most, on roads that we haven’t been able to enforce in the past.
“They are also great for visibility and public engagement. You can’t see the person in the van operating the camera, but the motorcyclists are right there so we can interact with members of the public about the bikes and what we do.
“The officers can also replay the offence on their handheld device so people can see the reason why they were caught. This is key because the main reason we do this is to educate drivers, so they don’t speed again in the future.
“If you don’t speed, you don’t need to worry about us. But the sheer number of offences that have been captured is proof that speeding is still a serious problem on our roads. Our work is crucial to changing the attitudes of those drivers.
“I would just like to ask everyone to please slow down. We all have a responsibility to keep our roads safe for everyone and speeding dramatically increases the risk of serious life-changing crashes.”
Bet they haven’t been in the Island though! There’s been a huge increase in speeding on Leeson Road since the Wroxall route has been closed particularly during peak hours!!!
That is why the island needs decent radar speed cameras
islandwide to catch the numpties.
Good for them I never speed ha ha cos I refuse to get points on my licence and a fine, not giving them the satisfaction of stopping me and booking me and taking my money.
Islandwide speed cameras would solve the NUMPTY problem
on the island.
Well done, I have been saying for years speeding on the island
is rife.
Proves my point.
Keep up the good work.
I have been at the lower end of York Avenue (East Cowes) on several afternoons recently and each time it has coincided with the car ferry disembarking vehicles. Most of them triggered the speed warning device half way up York Avenue. I have never seen any sign of either a police motorcycle or a van carrying out speed checks there.
It would be more sensible to carry out the checks there on the principle that there is a far greater risk of someone getting injured there than if the speed traps were located on a stretch of road devoid of any buildings.
That is true. Speed cameras are non existent on the island.
FOR SAFETY REASONS THE ISLAND NEEDS THEM!
Please come to Church Road, Shanklin, stop anywhere from the 30 mph sign into the Old Village. You’ll have a great day as neither of the two speed awareness cameras have been working for the last two years.
Beachfield Road Sandown, Victoria Avenue Shanklin,
Ryde Esplanade, Great Preston Road Ryde, Briddlesford
Road, Shanklin Esplanade and Yaverland Road need
permanent speed cameras installed.
I could name more Roads the list is never ending
They are all lawless Roads.
The island needs a Sadiq Khan running the show
he would solve the speeding problem once and for all
try driving at 25mph he will have a surprise for you!
They should
Look out for an Audi , grey , last three letters of N/P WWO , whoever drives this vehicle is nuts
Majority of Audi drivers are numpties.
They are not stationed on the Island. Paid partly by Islanders. Why do we fund the mainland police force!
Haven’t seen one police motorcycle on the isle of wight but seen plenty of speeding drivers, tailgate and drivers on mobile phone.