Community volunteers with speed guns can help limit speeding by motorists under the Community Roadwatch scheme.
Under the roadwatch programme local residents have the opportunity to work side by side with local police teams, and use speed detection equipment to identify speeding vehicles in their neighbourhoods.
Speeding is a big problem on some of Lewisham’s roads and has often been raised at Ladywell Assemblies. Residents on Chudleigh Road and on Vicars Hill have regularly complained about speeding drivers.
Community Roadwatch is designed to support wider police activity by working with local communities to help make people aware of the dangers of travelling too fast on Lewisham’s roads.
Backed by TfL, the Met and London councils, the scheme aims to improve road safety across London by reducing the number of speed-related collisions.
It also seeks to improve public confidence in the Met and TfL’s efforts to reduce speed in residential areas.
Under the scheme, volunteers will take details of vehicles travelling at 10 per cent plus 2 mph above the limit. No attempt is made to stop or signal drivers to slow down.
Instead the registered keepers of the offending vehicles are sent a first warning letter.
If caught a second time the second letter warns the keeper that if caught a third time the vehicle will be added to ANPR and may be targeted for enforcement.
Third time plus offenders are added to ANPR and considered for targeted enforcement (a separate exercise to Community Roadwatch).
ANPR or Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology is used to help detect and deter criminality at a local and national levels.
On-Street Training on the speed detection devices is given by trained Police Community Support Officers.
So if you are concerned about speeding in your area and want to organise or take part in a roadwatch scheme contact one of the local councillors ( cllr_bill.brown@lewisham.gov.uk, cllr_bill.brown@lewisham.gov.uk, cllr_carl.handley@lewisham.gov.uk ) or your Ladywell assembly coordinator (adeyinka.joseph@lewisham.gov.uk ).