Councillor Mark Wilkes was joined by local resident Adam Walker in Pity Me, and by Parish Councillor Arnie Simpson in Witton Gilbert to carry out a community speedwatch with Durham Constabulary officers.

The speedwatch comes after concerns raised by councillors about speeding in both villages.. The local community, through PACT meetings had also raised concerns about speeding. It is hoped that the evidence from this event will help both the police and the County Council when determining what needs to be done in the area.

Community speed watch allows local residents to write down the details of cars speeding over 33mph in a 30mph zone. Anyone recorded is then sent a warning letter advising them to slow down. 31 cars were recorded travelling over 33mph on Abbey Road in Pity Me, and 9 were recorded in Witton Gilbert. A considerable number more were recorded between 30 and 33 mph.

Councillor Wilkes commented “I have always thought that with any problem it must be tackled in a number of different ways. Education, a bit of carrot and stick and improvements to the road infrastructure can all be used to slow people down.”

“We recorded around 40 people over the two sites speeding, which clearly shows that in both locations, additional work is required. The amazing thing was that even though we were very visible with flourescent jackets, and signs, some vehicles were still recorded driving above 40mph in 30 zones. It was clear that a large number of vehicles had already slowed down by the time they reached the speed camera, so the true figure is clearly significantly higher.

Councillor Wilkes continued “If someone is knocked over by a car travelling at 40mph there is a 90% change they will be killed. If a car is driving at 30mph this drops to just 10%. I would ask all drivers to think about this very seriously.”

Councillor Wilkes now hopes that additional highways work can be carried out in Witton Gilbert, through the creation of a gateway to the village which will allow 30mph signs and road markings to be installed. He has also requested surveys for 20mph zones outside schools in Bearpark, Witton Gilbert and Framwellgate Moor following on from a recent change in council policy.

He said “I hope that this excellent work between the police, the community, and local councillors will continue, and I also want to see if the County Council is willing to look more closely at possible speed limit changes and highways work in a number of locations.”