Wiltshire Police: Road safety IS key priority
Officers have responded to a new TV documentary
Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) says safety on the county's roads is an issue which cannot be tackled with fixed speed cameras and officers alone.
BBC Panorama documentary 'Britain’s Killer Roads', which aired on Monday (17th January), suggested a lack of roads policing staff and fewer fixed speed cameras were contributing to an epidemic of vehicle incidents across the country, including deaths.
However Philip Wilkinson said both he and the Force took the issue of safer roads extremely seriously. Local residents, surveyed regarding Wiltshire Police's agenda, recently identified safer roads and speeding as one of their highest priorities.
'Residents have made it clear how strongly they feel about this'
“Through all of my consultations, both on the doorstep and various boards and council meetings, residents have made it clear how strongly they feel about this.
“What we need is intelligence-led targeting of key speeding hotspots, increased visibility of roads policing officers to provide a deterrent to potential speeding drivers and increased resourcing in those areas which help that visibility.
“Preventing an accident from happening is key and we will not wait for another family to grieve a loved one lost to a collision involving speed to take action," the PCC said.
Wiltshire's fixed speed cameras were turned off in 2009 - a decision made by the Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership.
Despite this, the Force still issued more than 1,300 fixed penalty notices for speeding last year, compared to 989 in 2016.
Officers also put nearly 600 speeding cases before court, compared to 174 five years ago.
Across Wiltshire, 115 volunteer Community Speed Watch teams work with a dedicated Community Enforcement Officer to collect intelligence. They collectively develop a targeted enforcement approach across those communities where speeding proves problematic.
The PCC has also committed investment for two additional Community Enforcement Officers, alongside two further mobile cameras.
'If you’re an irresponsible driver you will be caught'
Mr Wilkinson added: “We need to ensure safer roads for all - where communities can carry on with their lives with the peace of mind of fewer speeding drivers.
“Put simply, if you’re an irresponsible driver and continually break speed limits, you will be caught and action taken.”
Further investment in Wiltshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit is also part of its budget and precept proposals for 2022/23, including more resources and a proposed increase in the number of traffic cars.