Road Safety
Speed & Safety Watch
Community Speed Watch (CSW) is a locally driven initiative where active members of the community become Police Support Volunteers and work with the police to monitor speeds of vehicles at specific locations using speed indication devices.
Published: 4 September 2023
HBT, The Hill
Community Speed Watch
“Community Speed Watch (CSW) is a locally driven initiative where active members of the community become Police Support Volunteers and work with the police to monitor speeds of vehicles at specific locations using speed indication devices. The initiative allows the community to address the issue of speeding by becoming actively involved in road safety and working in partnership with Hampshire Constabulary”. Hampshire Police.
Hurstbourne Tarrant Community Speed Watch is about educating all drivers to keep within the signed speed limits when passing through the village and reporting those that don’t to the Police. It is in response to regular reports to the Parish Council from residents concerned about speeding traffic in HBT.
In 2016 & 2017, the Parish Council purchased fixed SIDs (Speed Indicator Devices) which are situated on the A343 at the junction with The Crescent.
In August 2019, the Community Speed Watch (CSW) initiative was reinvigorated, and there is now a dedicated team of volunteers, who have all been approved by the police. The aim of the scheme is to identify vehicles within the 30mph zone on the A343, with any vehicle travelling at 35mph noted and reported to the Police.
This results in an advisory letter being sent to the vehicle’s registered owner on the first occasion of excess speed recorded. Should a second excess speed recording be made – anywhere in Hampshire – a further letter is sent, while any third recording results in a visit in person by the police.
Community Safety Watch
Safety on our roads is not only about speed but about the safe travel of vehicles through the village. Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) pose a particular risk to the amenity of the Village and the the tight bend through The Square and the steepness of The Hill make it particularly unsuitable for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). We are encouraging HGV operators to adopt more suitable alternative routes. The. as well as the details of speeders, the Speed Watch group also record the details of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HVGs) travelling through the village and this information is used to write to the operator to highlight the advantages of avoiding travelling through HBT.
Currently the team is quite small and more volunteers are always welcome and needed. If you care about the speed of traffic and the consequent danger to pedestrians and cyclists, and the dangers posed by HGVs, please get in touch.
Please contact the clerk if you would like to be involved – clerk@hurstbournetarrant-pc.gov.uk – or use the contact us page.
