Village speed watch group makes progress as campaigners call for 20mph limit

A WHEATLEY speed watch coordinator has backed a national call for a 20mph limit in all built-up areas.

Alan Guest says Dr Nick Foreman's bid to reduce the 30mph limit could help avoid unnecessary accidents and injuries.

Motorists regularly break the speed limit through North and South Wheatley, says Mr Guest, but the villages' speed watch group is making progress.

Dr Foreman wrote an article for the British Medical Journal which tells of his shock at hitting a child and a woman at 20mph.

Both received bruising, but were otherwise unscathed.

"I thought it would be an excellent article to show to the people speeding through our village," said Mr Guest, the coordinator of the Wheatley Community Speed Watch Group.

The band of volunteers have a hand-held camera, given to them by the police, which measures the speed of passing vehicles.

The group shares it with counterparts in Mattersey.

Offending motorists receive a warning letter for the first breach followed by a police visit on the second occasion.

Persistent speeders may be prosecuted.

"Sometimes we get the thumbs-up from passing motorists and other times we get abuse," said Mr Guest.

"In a village with narrow roads, especially Low Street, and a busy primary school, people have to realise that we are trying to prevent accidents.

"We have recorded people driving well over the 30mph limit, but we don't have as acute a problem as other villages around here. But why do we have to wait for an awful accident to happen before anything is done?

"Just by being out with the camera reduces the speed of passing cars so it has to be worth doing."

Mr Guest added that he thinks a 20mph limit in built-up areas would be a big step towards improved road safety in the country.

His speed watch group is six strong so far but extra volunteers are welcome.