Public can help the police combat speeders

Road safety chiefs want the public to help reduce speeding on Manx roads.

Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson says a ‘community speed watch’ scheme will be set up to support law enforcers, adding there were not enough police officers to cover all areas of road safety concern.

Responding to a House of Keys question from Ayre and Michael MHK Tim Johnston, Jane Poole-Wilson said Tynwald approved a road safety partnership of public service organisations in 2019. It had in turn established a ‘safer speed delivery group’, whose role was to ensure speed limits are appropriate and enforcement is focussed, with particular attention paid to accident hot spots.

The minister said: ‘Police enforcement activity is often taken as a direct consequence of feedback from the public or from partner agencies such as local authorities.

‘In the year ahead, work will continue to create a community speed watch scheme, which will allow local people to play a part in monitoring and deterring speeding in the towns and villages in which they live.’

Mr Johnston said that concern about speeds of vehicles on country roads and in villages had been a recurring theme on the doorstep during election canvassing last year.

Jane Poole-Wilson confirmed a ‘considerable part’ of the island’s country roads were not covered by speed limits, including the Mountain Road between Ramsey and near Onchan.

‘This does not mean that the speed of vehicles on that road is being ignored and work is underway that in part focuses on a series of collision cluster sites where injury collisions have occurred,’ she said.

It wasn’t just about enforcement, though. Road design, vehicle safety and educating road users about risks to improve behaviour all played a key part, said JPW.

‘Data from road traffic collisions and enforcement activity is used to ensure that speed limits are appropriate and effective,’ the minister added.

In turn, enforcement is targeted on the basis of where collisions are most likely to occur.

‘I would readily acknowledge that speeding is a big concern to people who live in rural parts of the island,’ she said.

There will be an update on the road safety strategy when the Home Affairs Department gives its delivery plan later this year.

But she admitted: ‘Resourcing means that we do not have sufficient staff in our roads policing unit to be present in all areas where there might be a concern.

‘So that is why the community safety watch scheme will be important and it will be an opportunity for citizens to become involved in enforcing and deterring speeding in their own communities.’