Today is National Safe Speeds Day and all 43 police forces in England and Wales, as well as Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, are participating in this 24-hour operation, starting at 7am on Wednesday 15th September, to encourage compliance with speed limits.
Inappropriate speed contributes to around 11% of all injury collisions reported to the police, with 15% of collisions resulting in a serious injury and 24% of collisions resulting in fatalities.
Speeding is a major contributing factor to collisions on the roads of Wales. This includes both ‘excessive speed’, where the speed limit is exceeded, as well as driving or riding within the speed limit when this is too fast for the conditions at the time; for example, in poor weather, poor visibility or high pedestrian activity.
We know that the majority of road users comply with the speed limit; but the minority of those who do not increases the risk to the safety of all road users and need to be educated on the risks to their own safety as well as to the safety of those around them.
GoSafe will be out enforcing the speed limits and encouraging compliance at sites across Wales and we would urge all motorists to stand up for slowing down and play their part. Our most successful sites are those which record the LEAST amount of offences, not the most.
Teresa Ciano, GoSafe Partnership Manager said:
“GoSafe enforce at sites across Wales in order to encourage motorists to comply with the speed limits and in turn make our roads and communities safer for everyone. If we all play our part and stand up for slowing down we can make a difference, and we can save lives on the roads of Wales.”