Speed Watch Volunteers

/in News/by Clerk

We need you!  Introducing Speed Watch to Ash

Are you concerned about speeding in the village and could spare some time each month to support Ash Community Speed Watch?

The Parish Council is very aware of concerns about speeding throughout the village.  Ash is a predominantly rural village with roads not built for today’s vehicles and volume of traffic.  On-road parking is prevalent with an increasing number of vehicles obscuring drivers’ vision, but this has not reduced the speed of traffic. We know that traffic has increased in the village over time, and with new developments in Chequer Lane, Sandwich Road, The Street and Saunders Lane planned, the volume is only expected to increase even more.

So, as part of Ash Parish Council’s Highways Improvement Plan (the Ash HIP), we are looking to launch Community Speed Watch.  This will mirror the successful launches in many of our surrounding villages, however, volunteer support will be key!

What is Community Speed Watch (CSW)?

Community Speed Watch (CSW) is a road safety initiative coordinated by Kent Police and run by local communities. Trained volunteers monitor the speeds of vehicles using approved ‘speed indication devices’.

The aim of the initiative is to:

  • reduce death and injury on the roads
  • improve the quality of life for local communities
  • reduce the speed of vehicles to the speed limit
  • increase public awareness of inappropriate speed

Speed Watch monitoring sessions are undertaken at sites located within 20, 30 and 40mph areas only.  Prior to use, each site will have been individually assessed by trained police staff to ensure it meets safety standards for that location with volunteers thoroughly trained by Kent Police.

Why is it important?

It’s a sad fact that each year an average of 28,000 people are killed or seriously injured on the roads in the UK – and research has shown that speed is a major contributory factor. Driving even a small amount above the speed limit, or driving too fast in poor weather conditions, increases the risk of causing a crash. It also increases the likelihood of those involved sustaining serious or fatal injuries.

If you are aged 18 or over and you would like find out more about this volunteering opportunity and help make our roads safer, please send your contact details to email hidden; JavaScript is required