Tell drivers to slow down in your community
A unique Warwickshire speed watch campaign launched earlier this summer has been welcomed by members of the community.
The Warwickshire County Council ‘Speeding Wastes Lives’ scheme provides residents with free bin stickers bearing a message to motorists to watch their speed and the road safety team have had an amazing response since the launch in June.
Over 1600 stickers have already been distributed to households who have signed up to support the campaign, and the county council is encouraging more people to do so.
The scheme is managed by Road Safety Officer, Chris Fossey, he said: “Demand for the stickers has been high and many local groups have also taken an interest in promoting the scheme at village and town fetes and local area forums. There are still a number of stickers left for residents who want to grab a set for their bins.”
The bold stickers are most effective when a high number of people in a street have them on their bins, providing a cascading message asking motorists to slow down. At some locations where take up has been high, the road safety team have emphasised the scheme with additional plastic signs which can be seen on the highway.
County Councillor Mike Gittus, supports the scheme and recently promoted the stickers to Alcester residents at the town’s summer fete. He said: "I am very pleased to be working with officers on this project which I hope gets this important message across to people travelling through our towns and villages. We receive so many complaints about the speed of traffic in residential areas so it’s definitely a top concern for communities."
Chris Fossey added: “The scheme has captured the public’s imagination and I have received a great deal of positive feedback from residents. These are difficult times financially and therefore it is vital that the scheme can be promoted to as wide an audience as possible for a relatively small cost. For the many stickers that have already been sent out, many thousands of people will see our vital message to slow down in our communities".
Residents can request stickers from the county council’s Road Safety Team by emailing safetyengineering@warwickshire.gov.uk or by calling 01926 418612. The council is also keen to work with community groups to ensure that the stickers are widely distributed across the county.