Can you help Grappenhall and Thelwall Speed Awareness Group to calm our streets?
There were 603 casualties on Warrington’s roads in 2017. Nationally, it is estimated that 37% of all accidents had speeding as a contributory factor and that a pedestrian stuck by a vehicle at 40mph is 4.5 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than by a vehicle travelling at 30mph. Speeding traffic causes excessive noise. Reducing road speed from 30mph to 20mph is equivalent to moving from trying to make yourself heard in a busy restaurant to having a quiet conversation with a friend. Speeding vehicles also significantly increase pollution. Driving at 20mph rather than 30mph reduces the levels of dangerous Nitrous Oxide by 8.2% and particulates by 8.3%.
We have a real problem of speeding traffic in Grappenhall and Thelwall. Our Group often records traffic travelling at 45 and even 50mph in a 30mph zone and there is a particular problem of speeding near our schools putting the lives of our children and grandchildren at risk. The Grappenhall and Thelwall Speed Awareness Group has been established to try and make our streets safer, quieter and less polluting. Our volunteers spend 1 or 2 hours a month monitoring road speeds on the main roads and ‘rat runs’ through our villages, using a speed camera. The make and registration of vehicles exceeding the speed limit are noted and schedules provided to both the Police and Parish Council. The Police obtain the drivers name and address and they are sent a reminder of the importance of abiding by the speed limits. More importantly the information provided enables the Parish Council and Warrington Borough Council to identify roads which have particular speeding problems and brings forward traffic calming measures.
Volunteers always work in pairs and full training is given on the use of the speed camera and health & safety issues. Volunteers get a very positive reaction from local residents, pedestrians and cyclists. They even get friendly waves from the drives along with a few ‘Anglo Saxon Gestures’!
If you would like to make a real contribution to making our streets safer, quieter and less polluting and at the same time make new friends, either contact Sharon the Grappenhall and Thelwall PCSO via the Grappenhall and Thelwall Police Facebook page or email us directly at communityspeedwatch@yahoo.com
