14
Apr
2014
By Calvin at 09:09 GMT, 10 years ago
Pupils at a Chester-le-Street school have joined forces with traffic police to help launch a week-long campaign aimed at getting motorists across Cleveland and Durham to reduce their speed.
The initiative, which is co-ordinated by the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL), will see officers from the joint operations unit which serves both forces conduct high profile and static speed checks across their respective areas.
And for this campaign police have enlisted support from local schoolchildren who have taken part in a short educational film to be shown at the launch on Monday, April 14th.
Pupils at Pelton Community Primary School, on the outskirts of Chester-le-Street have recorded on camera their thoughts about speeding drivers and what actions they would like to see to address the problem.
They also took part in a community ‘Speedwatch’ operation with local officers on the main road outside the school.
The resulting film will be shown to members of the public and media at the campaign launch, at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield.
In the Cleveland and Durham force areas, more than 15,000 speeding offences were recorded in the 2013-14 financial year. And the majority of collisions where exceeding the speed limit was a factor occurred on 30mph roads.
Temporary Chief Inspector Ed Turner, of the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit (CDSOU), said: “As a joint unit we are working in partnership with our colleagues across Europe to educate drivers and carry out enforcement action against those who choose to drive above the speed limit.
“It is generally acknowledged that speeding is one of the main factors in serious or fatal injury collisions, involving motorists and other vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
“We want to educate drivers and work with them to highlight the dangers of speeding, but those who ignore the law can expect us to take firm action.”
Read the rest of this press release on the Durham Constabulary’s website: https://www.durham.police.uk/news-and-events/Pages/News%20Articles/Speeding-campaign-begins!.aspx
