Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe, Chair of Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership, with the Community Speed Watch volunteers.
The tremendous contribution to road safety made by Community Speed Watch (CSW) volunteers in Warwickshire has been celebrated by Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership (WRSP) at an awards event at the Old Shire Hall in Warwick.
Over 40 CSW volunteers and representatives from Warwickshire Police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire and Warwickshire County Council attended the event.
Warwickshire’s CSW volunteers are valued members of the road safety community and after a welcome from PCC Philip Seccombe, who Chairs WSRP, Inspector Dave Valente spoke about the achievements of CSW, and future challenges.
Other inspiring speakers explained the ‘Safe System’ approach in Warwickshire and the key role CSW plays in achieving the WRSP target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads by 50% by 2030.
WRSP was also delighted to welcome Dr Leanne Savigar-Shaw, Senior Lecturer in Policing at Staffordshire University, who spoke about the impact Community Speed Watch has on speeding motorists. Research shows that 72% of drivers sent warning letters by CSW schemes agreed that it had made them want to change their driving behaviours, with 70% saying they would drive more slowly in future.
During the event, long service certificates were awarded to volunteers for 10 years service and awards were made to PCSOs and police volunteers.
As well as thanking volunteers in person and recognising the positive impact that CSW has on road safety, the event was a great opportunity for volunteers to ask questions and network with other volunteers.
In Warwickshire there are currently 42 CSW Groups and each group was invited to send one or more representatives to the event.
Between the beginning of January and the end of July this year, Warwickshire’s CSW volunteers have collectively volunteered:
- Over 345 hours
- Resulting in the speeds of more than 83,000 vehicles being checked
- With more than 2,500 drivers receiving valuable education about their speed
These numbers are a testament to the dedication and the tangible difference that Warwickshire’s Community Speed Watch volunteers are making in our community.
Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Chair of Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership said: “What makes CSW successful in Warwickshire is the unwavering support and dedication of our volunteers who generously give their time and energy to make their communities safer for all.
“At this celebration event we not only recognised the hours that the volunteers spend on the roadside with Speed Watch equipment; we are also acknowledged the profound impact they have on the wellbeing of our communities. Every time a driver slows down because they’ve seen CSW volunteers at work represents a further step towards achieving our target of substantially reducing the misery caused by collisions on our roads.”
Inspector Dave Valente said: “We are really pleased at how well the partnership between Community Speed Watch volunteers and the police is helping to improve both the engagement with and education of motorists to improve driver behaviour.
“Community Speed Watch really does work and complements the work done by Safer Neighbourhood Teams, patrol officers and speed camera and mobile speed enforcement activities.
“The presence of CSW volunteers monitoring speed in their local area is a visible reminder to drivers to consider their speed. Receiving a CSW letter about speed has a profound impact on a driver’s behaviour with very few drivers, approximately 10%, receiving a second letter. This shows how effective it is and supports the Safe System approach to road safety in Warwickshire.”
In June, Warwickshire CSW volunteers received a letter of thanks during National Volunteers Week. All CSW volunteers are also being provided with a commemorative CSW badge as a small token of appreciation, to wear with pride and show their support for safer speeds.
Community Speed Watch is a national initiative where active members of local communities join together to monitor speeds of vehicles in their local area with support from the police. The role of CSW is to use their visible presence to deter speeding in local communities to improve the quality of life of residents who want to feel safe when using their local roads recreationally or to travel.
Warwickshire Police Road Safety Officer Gary Strain provides the point of contact for CSW groups, providing support, collating results and coordinating training and risk assessments. Volunteers also receive a regular CSW Newsletter to update them on latest information, news and events.
If you are interested in forming a CSW group in your area, please contact your local police Safer Neighbourhood team. The details of your local SNT can be found by visiting www.warwickshire.police.uk and entering your location.
For more information about CSW please visit www.communityspeedwatch.org.
