I don’t know whether it is because it was once the heart of
the car industry but drivers in the Midlands seem to me to
drive more aggressively than in Suffolk.
I was reminded of this on my return from the area yesterday
morning. The complex motorway system
around Birmingham is full of people going VERY FAST in large cars. Country lanes seem to be populated by people
taking the concept of an unrestricted speed limit rather too literally, and I understand
from friends that in villages, just as in Suffolk, disregard of speed limits is
a constant irritation.
In this connection, officers at Suffolk County Council
Highways Department have recently worked out a protocol with the Police here in
Babergh for people who have concerns about speeding motorists in their areas. Regular meetings are being held with the Safer
Neighbourhood Team Sergeant to discuss that have been raised by the public.
The message is that if you
have an issue with regard to speeding the first port of call should be the
police rather than the Highways Department.
Contacting your PCSO or Safer Neighbourhood Team, or, better
still attendance at one of the three local Safer Neighbourhood Team Meetings
that are held around the District every two months, are the best ways to voice
your concerns. If anyone wants further details I can supply you with a complex
organogram that explains the new process.
I have been distributing these at parish council meetings, where they
have caused some puzzlement, but overall the message is fairly clear.
The only problem with this approach that I can see is that
it may be difficult to find out after the complaint has been made the extent of any action that has been
taken, and I will be raising this with the police at the next SNT meeting.
Incidentally, Babergh police are now taking advantage of the
digital age, and have started to tweet on Twitter. Follow them at Babergh Police and find out
what they are up to. (They are tweeting from the Long Melford Street Fayre this
afternoon.)
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