Sway Community SpeedWatch
Sway's Community SpeedWatch group was formed in 2014 in response to local residents’ concerns regarding the high numbers (2 million a year) speeding through Sway Parish. Sway lies In the New Forest National Park where speeding is often a significant factor in the deaths of dozens of commoners’ animals on the roads each year. Community SpeedWatch is an educational scheme, not enforcement. It is considered by the police as being the first tier response to speeding issues.
Why not join us and help make a difference?
Email [email protected]
Why not join us and help make a difference?
Email [email protected]
Meet SID and VERA
SID is our Speed Indicator Device, used to monitor the speed of vehicles during Sway Community SpeedWatch (CSW) operations. Teams of three or more volunteers stand at the roadside recording details of vehicles travelling at or over the trigger threshold speed (10% + 2mph over the speed limit). SID is in operation for a few hours each month depending on volunteer availability.
VERA is the nickname given to the Vehicle Activated Speed Limit Reminder (VASLR) that Sway Parish Council purchased to alert drivers when they exceed the trigger threshold speed. Vera is out there 24 hours a day flashing her warning message and counting the numbers speeding at 35 mph or faster.
Sway has two busy through routes, the B3055 and Pitmore Lane. Statistics from Vera indicate that now, around 34,000 speeding offences are committed in Sway each week along these two roads. The graph below shows this along with the dramatic effects of the covid-19 lockdown in 2021. The black line shows the 8 week rolling average trend which is suggests we have seen a significant reduction in the numbers exceeding the 35mph threshold for reporting since July 2021. This appears to coincide with a very welcome increased police presence during some of our SpeedWatch activities, although it is difficult to say for certain as Vera unfortunately only counts those speeding, and not the overall traffic volume.
Sway has two busy through routes, the B3055 and Pitmore Lane. Statistics from Vera indicate that now, around 34,000 speeding offences are committed in Sway each week along these two roads. The graph below shows this along with the dramatic effects of the covid-19 lockdown in 2021. The black line shows the 8 week rolling average trend which is suggests we have seen a significant reduction in the numbers exceeding the 35mph threshold for reporting since July 2021. This appears to coincide with a very welcome increased police presence during some of our SpeedWatch activities, although it is difficult to say for certain as Vera unfortunately only counts those speeding, and not the overall traffic volume.
Both SID and Vera rely on the dedication of a highly motivated team of volunteers.
Sway is not a large parish, neither does it have any major roads, but even still, Vera shows that up to 2 MILLION Speeding Offences are committed in Sway each year.
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