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Community speed watch

Drawing drivers' attention to speed limits in areas where communities say it is affecting their quality of life

Community Speed Watch also educates drivers about the effects that anti-social road use can have on local people.

Community Speed Watch was developed in response to feedback gathered through a public consultation run by by the Police and crime Commissioner in July 2014. The feedback showed that four out of five residents were concerned about road safety in North Yorkshire, and that 72 percent of people felt that more should be done to improve road safety through enforcement or education.

The scheme was piloted between March and September 2015 and due to positive results and positive public response, the scheme now forms one part of North Yorkshire Police’s roads policing response.

The first scheme to officially launch in the region was in Pannal in September 2016 and since launch the group has seen some encouraging results.

How the scheme works

If a community believes it has a problem with speeding, a site of concern should be reported the the police’s Traffic Bureau. Details of how this can be done are on our Speeding page.

The speed concern will be acknowledged by North Yorkshire Police Traffic Bureau and will follow the process of the Speed Management Protocol. If the site is assessed as suitable for Community Speed Watch, the informant will be contacted by North Yorkshire Police Traffic Bureau and further information will be provided on the scheme

Fully trained community residents will then visit pre-approved sites with a radar to record the speed and registration number of offending vehicles. They will use the approved equipment to capture

  • Speed
  • Registration number
  • Colour of car
  • Make of car

The presence of the team and the equipment acts as a deterrent and will encourage road users to take more care in this area.

Anyone recorded to be speeding  (that is doing 35mph or more in a 30mph zone or a 46mph or more in a 40 mph zone) will receive a letter from North Yorkshire Police to inform them of their offence and the need to address their driving behaviour.

North Yorkshire Police will also be keeping a close watch on the recorded data, and may take enforcement measures if a persistent or extreme offender is identified.

Get involved

If you would like to join in a Community Speed Watch action near you, please email CommunitySpeedWatch@northyorkshire.police.uk.