I am not surprised that the County Council and the Suffolk Police Authority is thinking about turning on its speed cameras once again.  Statistics show that deaths from road accidents in Suffolk have risen this year from a relatively low level in 2010. It is hard to escape the view that this is due, in part, to the fact that the cameras have not been operating due to budget constraints.

The speeding problem is not confined to the major roads and urban areas however.

At yesterday evening’s Safer Neighbourhood Team Meeting in Stanstead almost every complaint from the public was about speeding cars in their villages.  Additionally speeding along Valley Road, Chilton, continues to be a problem (although according to the police not enough of a problem for a camera to be sited on the road since the volume of traffic, when compared to other areas, does not justify it).

The meeting resolved that speeding will be a priority for the Safer Neighbourhood Teams for the next two months.  The other priority will be the monitoring of schools in the evenings during the school holidays to deter anti social behaviour.

The next Babergh West Safer Neighbourhood meeting will be in Groton on 22^nd September at 7 p.m.  If you have concerns about any aspect of safety in the community come along and voice them directly to the police.

Closer to home, the Speedwatch scheme in Waldingfield Ward has been successful in catching a good number of motorists breaking the speed limit in our villages, but could still do with more volunteers to enable the teams to go out on a more regular basis.  After training it only takes an hour or so a month to participate and those who do it find it rewarding and, at times, entertaining.

If you are interested in volunteering please get in touch with me, or with the Parish Council, who will put you in touch with the scheme’s co-ordinator.