This in from the police, in their own words. Ed
Police across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are supporting an international initiative to reinforce respect for speed limits at home and abroad.
This week (Monday 17 to Sunday 23 August ) marks the latest Tispol (European Traffic Police Network) speed enforcement campaign.
Enforcing speed limits
The purpose of the campaign is to enforce speed limits for all vehicles and draw greater public attention to the consequences of excessive or inappropriate speed.
Across Europe it is estimated that speeding contributes to as many as one third of all crashes resulting in death, and is the most important contributory factor to road deaths and serious injuries, according to the European Transport Safety Council.
Support from the force’s road safety officer
Sergeant Rob Heard from Hampshire Constabulary’s Roads Policing Unit (RPU) said:
“None of us should ever under-estimate the catastrophic effects of excessive or inappropriate speed upon road users and their families, many of whom also suffer lasting and profound consequences from collisions where a loved one has been killed or seriously injured.
“Speeding is one of the main factors involved in fatal collisions, and people must always realise it’s a speed limit, not a target.
“Roads policing officers are on regular patrols across both our counties to catch offenders breaking speed limits and putting lives in danger.
“Education goes side-by-side with enforcement as we strive to improve the behaviour and attitudes of motorists constantly.”
High speed offender brought to justice
Last week a 25-year-old man from Somerset appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates Court after being recorded at 121 miles per hour in an Audi Quattro car on the A303 westbound carriageway at Weyhill near Andover on June 5, 2015.
He was disqualified from driving for 56 days.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight facts
In 2014, 81,000 (in 2013 it was 84,000) speeding offences were detected,
- 71 per cent of offences occurred in 30mph limits;
- 14 per cent in 70mph limits;
- Five per cent in 40mph limits;
- Five per cent in 50mph limits;
- the remainder occurring in 60mph and 20mph limits.
Across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in 2014, 28 per cent (12/43) of fatal casualties and 12 per cent (124/1065) of KSI (Killed or Seriously Injured) casualties were injured in collisions where ‘exceeding the speed limit’ or ‘travelling too fast for conditions’ were recorded as contributory factors.
Hampshire Constabulary is a member of the National Speed Awareness Scheme where low end speeders are offered to attend awareness training as an alternative to prosecution and points.
The course’s aim is to improve the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of any drivers attending the course, thereby reducing the likelihood of the driver being involved in a future speeding incident.
Image: dark_ghetto28 under CC BY 2.0
