Increased speeding ‘beggars belief’

SPEEDS on our roads have dramatically increased during the current crisis with some motorists driving at double the speed limit.

Far from slowing down, electronic monitoring systems are showing that speeds have dramatically increased and many of the public are complaining that this has now gone too far, reports Police volunteer Ashley Reay from Mendip Community Speedwatch.

“If ever there was a case of Turkeys voting for Xmas then the motorists that use the roads in, and around the Frome area are top of the class, he says.

“The police speed enforcement took a sensible view to reduce their speed checks some 6 weeks ago due to the coronavirus and the effects on the population that the virus would have. The hope was that those who needed to travel would act sensibly and keep their speeds down and act responsibly. So, have they?

“Far from slowing down electronic monitoring systems are showing that speeds have dramatically increased and many of the public are complaining that this has now gone too far. It beggars belief that while the majority of the public are doing the correct things like self-isolation, and staying at home while some are racing around the local area at speeds twice the posted 20, or 30 mph limits. Speeds at around 70 mph have been seen and 50 mph is now seen on a daily basis.

“Consider this. The inevitable accidents that will occur due to excess speed will mean that instead of attending to you, or your loved ones, the emergency services will be attending a completely avoidable situation and thus depriving someone of possible life and death care just because someone wishes to be at a destination a few seconds earlier.

“The results then of these selfish actions are that speed enforcement will return to those sites as requested by the public with no doubt the cry of ‘have the police got nothing better to do’. from those who travel at these ridiculous speeds. The answer to that is the law has not changed, and we expect the police to still be active in arresting burglars, rapists and thieves while those who speed excessively are putting the public at risk by their selfish actions.

“If you are one of those who are currently speeding in, and around the Frome area then it is you who are to blame, not the police for the return of the speed enforcement teams so do not complain when you are caught and prosecuted and remember, fines for speeding is a tax you do not have to pay.”