By Derrick Powell, Bradley Stoke Community Speed Watch Coordinator
On Saturday 14th February, we conducted a Speed Watch on Bradley Stoke Way, near the Willow Brook Centre, with four regular team members, two new members and PCSO Ben Sheward. One of the new members was the newly appointed coordinator for the Pilning area, and a new member for the Bradley Stoke team.
In total, the number of vehicles passing through during a two hour watch was 1,054. Out of these, 64 were clocked exceeding the speed limit of 30mph and the drivers will therefore receive a warning letter from the police. Additionally, one vehicle was observed undertaking in the bus lane.
Any driver who receives three warning letters will receive a summons and have their licence endorsed.
Elsewhere, I have made an application to South Gloucestershire Council to erect three police warning ‘tri-signs’ in Sherbourne Avenue, due to the amount of excessive speeding in this area, in anticipation that they may prevent a serious accident.
Avon and Somerset Police will be conducting a Speed Awareness Week sometime in April at Yate town centre; Community Speed Watch will also be attending to talk to any pedestrian or motorist about speeding and its consequences.
Photo: Community Speed Watch members in action on Bradley Stoke Way.
More info: Community Speed Watch
This article originally appeared in the April 2015 edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine, delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
“Any driver who receives three warning letters will receive a summons and have their licence endorsed”.
If found guilty, surely? Or are you bypassing due process?
So is it Police Officers in charge of this or Plastic Plod(PCso’s) or just local citizens with time on their hands?
CavendishMuppet could not agree with you more!
I didn’t know what police ‘tri signs’ were until I googled them. Apparently they are three sided signs you put round a lamppost. Wow, that’ll stop the marauding masses speeding down Sherbourne Avenue – which just happens to be a cul-de-sac. So all the speeders are people who live or have friends in this road. Doesn’t ring true really, does it.
Oh, wait a minute. The leader of the Californian Highway Patrol Speed Camera Team is Derrick Powell, who happens to live off of Sherbourne – and guess what – he is an aspiring politician standing for UKIP. No clash of interests here!
Please treat the electorate of Bradley Stoke with some respect!
Fascinating – “Any driver who receives three warning letters will receive a summons and have their licence endorsed”.
I take two issues with this:
1) I still can’t find the legislation that provides for community speed watch to issue a summons; the only way I can see that happening is if a police officer is holding the gun at the time… which defeats the point of the speedwatch
2) Has the BSL checked this out before publishing? Dangerous if not…
Having been approached by concerned residents (some with young children) Tri-signs may be a preventative of serious accidents. I have seen speeding motorists on this road and will do all I can to educate motorists.
CSW members have no jurisdiction to issue any summons, watch information is sent to the police to examine (our duties end there) and take any action deemed necessary to educate speeding motorists.
Community Speedwatch is voluntary with no payment or expenses, and is fully supported by the police. 90% of my team have full time jobs and have to give up days off, holidays and other time which would normally be spent with their families.
Over the past 12 months a total of 4568 vehicles were clocked passing through a Speedwatch, and out of these 139 vehicles were exceeding the speed limit some as much as 38 miles per hour. The areas affected were:-
Woodlands Lane either side of the Orchard roundabout, Bradley Stoke Way (both sides of central reservation), Brooke Way and opposite The Worthys on Bradley Stoke Way.
At this point in time CSW team have only ten licences to operate within Bradley Stoke with more roads to come on stream in the near future. These will be determined by the Police after health and safety checks have been carried out, it is only then when the licence has been issued are we able to operate.
If you wish to speak to me regarding any issues of CSW then please feel free to see me at the next SSCG meeting on Thursday 30th April or at any other following meeting and I will be pleased to answer any of your questions or queries face to face.
With respect Mr Powell, I think you are suffering from delusions of grandeur.
It isn’t your place to assume you have the authority to adopt a stance of “I will do all I can to educate motorists”.
If you really are determined to persist, then join the traffic division of the local police force.