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Speeding drivers shamed by signs |
Motorists are to be shamed into slowing down thanks to new flashing moveable speed limit reminder signs targeting danger spots in the borough.
On Tuesday 30 January the council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Transport Cllr Horace Mitchell had a personal 'test run' past one of the two new signs before they go out on the road in the borough in early February. Another sign that alerts drivers to the actual speed they are doing – a speed indication device (SID) – will also go out on the borough’s roads in February.
"The key to these new signs is their mobility", said Cllr Mitchell. "They don't become a permanent feature of any one road, so drivers don't become blasé and start to disregard them. It also means we can make best use of our limited budget to get drivers to pay better attention to speed limits in many places across the borough. Residents, parish councils and community organisations frequently complain about how difficult it is to get new safety arrangements in place - this will give us much greater flexibility."
On the choice of locations, Cllr Mitchell said: "We negotiate this with the police and the highways authority, based on the local history of accidents or speeding problems, traffic volumes, the number of pedestrians in an area, and the availability of suitable sites to mount the signs."
Placement of signs will not be announced in advance, since this would lessen their impact. However, residential and rural areas likely to be among the first locations for the new mobile signs include: Hanmore Road, Grove Road and New Road in Basingstoke and roads in Baughurst, Bramley, Old Basing, Ramsdell, Sherborne St John, Silchester and Tadley.
The three new mobile traffic signs, one of which has been supplied by Hampshire County Council, are being trialled by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council as part of a package of road safety initiatives the council is proposing to fund. This is to back up the council’s roads are for cars, streets are for people safety campaign.
Cllr Mitchell said: “The signs are aimed at cutting the number of speeding motorists putting pedestrians, cyclists and other road users in danger. Moved around to different high priority locations, the signs are triggered as drivers pass and either remind them of the speed limit or alert them to the excessive speed they are travelling at. If they prove successful, we have earmarked the funding to buy more of these signs for use in the borough.
“The police have helped us to decide where the signs should go and have been very supportive of the initiative. We will be monitoring the 'before and after' effect of the signs and the police have agreed to back up the signs with enforcement action in roads where motorists continue to flout the speed limit.”
For more information about the signs call the council’s contact centre on 01256 844844.
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