Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP) teams from Essex County Council, Essex Police and Southend-on-Sea City Council worked together to “surround” Southend as part of a Vision Zero day of action.
Teams supported the Vision Zero campaign through a combination of engagement, intervention and targeted enforcement, focusing on risky behaviours including speed enforcement at key hotspots across the town. The collaborative approach allowed officers and road safety staff to engage directly with drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, local businesses and residents throughout the day. Community Speed Watch volunteers from the Chalkwell group were also out in Leigh-on-Sea, monitoring speeds and helping to widen the road safety footprint across the area.
Across the day, 45 tickets were issued and three vehicles were seized for no insurance, one arrest was made for drug driving and two stop searches were carried out. Enforcement activity took place at four locations including High Street Shoeburyness, Sutton Road, Thorpe Hall Avenue and Maplin Way, with most drivers adhering to speed limit and just 11 speed offences detected.
Alongside enforcement, engagement remained a key focus. The partnership staff spoke with drivers and passengers about Vision Zero, with all agreeing that zero is the only acceptable number for road deaths and serious injuries. This included conversations with drivers stopped for seatbelt and mobile phone offences. In one instance a vehicle was prevented from continuing its journey after officers identified a child travelling in a seat they had outgrown, ensuring the child’s safety before travel resumed.
The teams also visited local businesses and public buildings in and around the city centre, including estate agents, solicitors, opticians, the Civic Centre and Southend Library, helping to spread Vision Zero messages and encourage shared responsibility for road safety.
The SERP would like to thank everyone involved for their support and collaboration, reinforcing a clear message of zero compromise when it comes to road safety and our shared commitment to Vision Zero in Southend.
To find out more about Vision Zero and how to play your part, visit: www.saferessexroads.org/visionzero
