The latest set of figures for motorists exceeding the speed limit in and around the Frome area since 1st Jan show little or no improvement, reports Ashley Reay from the Police Community Speed Watch (CSW) team.
He reports, “Recorded offences are now well in excess of 1,200, with Warminster Road, Frome, rapidly approaching the 1,000 mark by itself since 1st February, as the speeds there show little sign of decreasing. Indeed, by the time this article has printed, the total at this stretch of road will have exceeded that figure.
“CSW have implemented further checks at this site, with warning letters sent rather than prosecutions, but it is making no difference. The reason for police checks is that the public has been complaining that they find it difficult to cross the road in safety from Asda when they wish to visit the nearby cemetery. All police check sites for speeding are as a result of either accidents or public concerns.
“Last Saturday, police were trialling their latest handheld speed recording device at Warminster Road, Frome, which will add to their current portfolio of devices. It is the latest most up-to-date equipment available and Mendip has been chosen as one of the sites to test it in, and the devices are expected to be used from around mid-July. It is not a record to be proud of, that all new equipment is trialled or used in the Frome area due to continuing excess speeds. It is a question of when, not if, the speeding motorist will be caught and prosecuted, as until the motorists realise that speeding is not acceptable, then the police will remain in their current high numbers.
“Frome Town Council has now purchased a speed indication device, which will be sited at five different areas throughout the town and the data obtained sent to the speed enforcement unit so that the police may check at those sites with a speeding problem.
“It is difficult to understand why speeds do not reduce when it is well known that the police are using the most up-to-date day and night-time equipment. ‘000’s have been prosecuted since Jan 2019 and there have been some five deaths in and around Frome over the past six months where speed has played a part in some of these tragic events.
“The message from the police, speed enforcement and community speed watch is as it always is. Slow down just a little, arrive safely and avoid fines and points on your licence and avoid the possibility of the dreaded knock on the door telling you that a loved one has been hurt, or worse, by a speeding vehicle.”
