Speed is a significant factor in about one third of road accidents in the United Kingdom. This is particularly so in urban areas, where speeding vehicles can adversely affect the quality of life of many communities.
Speed limits are introduced to ensure greater road safety. Measures for influencing the speed of vehicles generally fall into two categories, legislative and physical. Speed limits fall into the first category whereas traffic calming devices would fall into the second.
Comprehensive information on the speed limits you would expect to come across on different categories of road are given in chart form in The Highway Code.
If the road in question has a system of street lighting on it, and has no speed limit repeater signs, the road is already subject to a 30mph speed limit. The Highway Authority is not permitted to place 30mph repeater signs on it. The system of street lighting in a built up area should be sufficient evidence of a 30mph limit.
Traffic speed enforcement is carried out by the Police. The Police have powers to enforce against all moving traffic offences. There are a number of ways in which this can be done – from permanently placed speed cameras to mobile enforcement with radar speed guns.
The Council plays very little part in deciding where speed cameras should be located in the borough. This work is the responsibility of the London Safety Camera Partnership (LSCP), a body which includes representatives from Transport for London, and the Metropolitan Police. The LSCP must concentrate their resources on the roads with the worst accident rates, and therefore the criteria for site selection are based on the number of personal injury accidents.
The Council is experimenting with new variable message speed detectors. These detectors serve two purposes. Firstly they allow us to check the speed of vehicles in order that we can understand the extent of the speeding problems in a particular road. This information may help support a future bid for works to address safety issues. Secondly, in active flashing mode, they warn motorists that are driving too fast.
FAQ
The traffic on my street is travelling too fast. Can anything be done to help?
There are several ways of dealing with speeding traffic. Often we have to rely on the police to enforce the existing speed limits. There are other situations where engineering measures are more appropriate and traffic calming devices could be considered. However, the council already has a long list of requests for traffic calming and generally those roads where speed related injury accidents have occurred are dealt with as priority. Other requests have to be assessed and prioritised and the most deserving cases dealt with as and when resources permit.
Can the Council install a speed camera in my road?
The Council plays very little part in deciding where speed cameras should be located in the borough. This work is the responsibility of the London Safety Camera Partnership (LSCP), a body which includes representatives from Transport for London, and the Metropolitan Police. The LSCP must concentrate their resources on the roads with the worst accident rates, and therefore the criteria for site selection are based on the number of personal injury accidents.
Can the Council install a flashing speed detector in my road?
The Council is experimenting with new variable message speed detectors. These detectors serve two purposes. Firstly they allow us to check the speed of vehicles in order that we can understand the extent of the speeding problems in a particular road. This information may help support future bids for funding for works to address safety issues. Secondly, in active flashing mode, they warn motorists that are driving too fast.
The Council is developing a list of roads where the use of these devices may be of benefit. If you would like your road to be considered for the use of one of these devices please contact The Traffic and Parking Group, Fleet Building, Wearside Service Centre, Wearside Road, Lewisham SE13.
Do the flashing speed detectors issue speeding fines?
No, these are warning devices only.