On Patrol with Community Roadwatch
On 20 October Whitton residents organised a Community Roadwatch event on Nelson Road. Following concerns about traffic speeds and behaviour on Whitton roads, local residents accompanied officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Richmond Safer Transport Team and the Whitton Safer Neighbourhood Team to measure traffic speeds using speed detection equipment as part of the London wide Community Roadwatch Initiative.
Whitton’s Problem with Speed
Data produced by Richmond Council and presented at the Transport Committee in March 2021 shows that Whitton has a particular problem with speed on its roads, which is unlike any other part of the borough.
In a dataset of the top 20 roads in Richmond Borough with a mean speed exceeding 24mph in 2020, seven are in Whitton. A further dataset of the top 20 roads where the highest percentage of vehicles were found to be exceeding the posted speed limit, nine are in Whitton.
I appreciate how important Community Roadwatch operations are to reassure people that the police are working closely with the community to ensure the safety of everyone. I want to empower community officers to engage at every opportunity with all road users so that we can cohabit in a safe society. I will be encouraging my officers to increase education and enforcement with road users, so that everybody can feel safe going about their daily business.
Jon McLoughlin, Neighbourhoods Inspector Twickenham and Richmond
What is Community Roadwatch?
Community Roadwatch is a road safety initiative which aims to reduce speeding in residential areas and increase public confidence in the ability of the Police and TFL to reduce the number of people killed and injured on London’s roads each year. Residents are given the opportunity to work side by side with the Police and use speed detection equipment to identify speeding motorists.
Critically, this is not an enforcement exercise, but rather one of education and engagement and drivers will not receive fines or points. Only motorists recorded on the speed device exceeding 10% plus 2mph above the limit will receive a letter. In a 20mph area, this speed is 25mph, in a 30mph zone it is 36mph.
Over the course of the 45 minute session 4 motorists were recorded travelling above the speed limit. The location, chosen by the Safer Transport Team, was on Nelson Road outside Nelson and St Edmunds Schools at 8.30am. The session coincided with school drop off times and the primary issue was one of congestion rather than speed and residents felt other locations would be preferable at that time.
“It was great to see the Community Roadwatch back in operation today on Nelson Road. Our roads are safer when we drive more slowly and these operations help remind drivers of the speed limits. Thank you to the police and to the local Whitton residents who requested it.”
Cllr Liz Jaeger, Whitton Ward
What happens to the registered vehicle owner?
After a session the Police check offending vehicles on the national database and if details match a warning letter is sent to the registered keeper. Second time offenders will receive a second letter which warns the keeper that if caught a third time offenders will be considered for enforcement action. Third time offenders will be considered for targeted enforcement and a CRIMINT report completed.
More information
For more information about the Community Roadwatch programme visit the TFL website here. This includes information about setting up Community Roadwatch and Junior Roadwatch schemes.
If you have witnessed an offence on the roads, you can report it via the Met’s online reporting tool, which includes the ability to upload video footage. Find the online reporting system here.
