Teamwork helps apprehend speeding driver

A School Speedwatch session – carried out as part of a recent Surround a Town day in Basildon – helped Essex Police detain a speeding driver who failed to stop when requested.

School Speedwatch involves officers working with pupils to stop drivers who are detected speeding on the approaches to schools. The drivers are then offered the opportunity to be questioned by school children rather than being issued with the usual penalty.

The school children ask the drivers about their driving behaviour, and the potential consequences of driving too fast with the aim of encouraging them to change their behaviour in the future.

The Basildon Speedwatch session resulted in nine speeding vehicles being detected. While eight drivers stopped as requested, one drove away in the direction of a Surround a Town (SAT) enforcement site.

The office carrying out the Speedwatch radioed the enforcement site – where the driver was caught a few minutes later and issued a FPN for the speeding offence.

Nearly 50 seatbelt offences detected during SAT
Organised by the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP), Surround a Town sees resources focussed on a tight geographical area, often where there are high rates of collisions and casualties.

The initiative uses a combination of enforcement and engagement to highlight the importance of safe and legal driving.

The latest Surround a Town day took place in Basildon on 23 October – with 49 seatbelt offences detected by officers around the town.

Further to that, one arrest was made for drug driving – with other offences including no MOT, careless driving and not in proper control.

31 October 2019