Volunteers catch 170 motorists speeding in Long Lane during 2018

Volunteers taking part in the Metropolitan Police's Community Roadwatch used speed guns to detect speeding motorists in Long Lane on seven occasions during 2018, according to information obtained by the SE1 website under the Freedom of Information Act. A total of 170 warning letters were sent to motorists as a result.

Five Community Roadwatch operations were held on Southwark Bridge Road at the Sawyer Street junction – close to a primary school and an adventure playground, and where motorists share the road with cyclists using the non-segregated cycle superhighway 7. 117 warning letters were sent.

53 motorists were caught speeding in Grange Road as a result of two Roadwatch operations, whilst a summer event on Harper Road led to 14 warning letters.

A letter from Supt Thomas Naughton is sent to the registered keeper of vehicles found speeding, reminding car owners that around 2,000 people a year are killed or seriously injured on London's roads each year, with speed a contributory factor in half of these collisions.

"The local community asks that drivers passing through the area observe the posted speed limits," says Supt Naughton in his letter.

"Reducing your speed will directly contribute to saving lives and will improve the quality of life for those residents.

"No further action will be taken on this occasion but this report will be held on our records for 12 months. If your vehicle comes to notice again it will be investigated further."

If the same vehicle is found speeding a second time, a further letter is sent warning that "the vehicle details have now been entered onto police intelligence records and they will also be passed to our Criminal Justice Unit for entry onto their databases.

"If the vehicle is seen offending again, it will be added to the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) hotlist.

"This will alert all patrolling roads policing units to the presence of the vehicle and it might be stopped and checked. In cases of persistent or extreme speeding, vehicles may be targeted for enforcement by police officers or mobile speed camera vans."

The dates that Community Roadwatch activity took place in 2018, and the number of detection letters issued:

Grange Road SE1
15/08/2018 – 33
29/11/2018 – 20

Southwark Bridge Road SE1
21/09/2018 – 0
27/09/2018 – 32
11/10/2018 – 9
07/12/2018 – 19
09/12/2018 – 57

Long Lane SE1
18/01/2018 – 2
29/06/2018 – 16
19/07/2018 – 22
10/08/2018 – 31
11/10/2018 – 23
14/10/2018 – 52
08/11/2018 – 24

Harper Road SE1
25/07/2018 – 14