Over 250 drivers have been caught speeding on a busy Worcestershire road after Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion called for enforcement to be carried out.
Earlier this year (January 2019), the West Mercia Commissioner expressed concerns about the A456 Bewdley Bypass after discovering that between 2015 and 2019 there had been one fatal, two serious and six slight-injury collisions.
West Mercia Police started enforcement in March and have carried out almost 20 hours of activity across two months. During this time, 256 prosecutable speeding offences were recorded. Of those offences, the majority (37%) of the drivers live in Wyre Forest – with one caught travelling at 93mph. 30% are from outside West Mercia, 17% are from other areas within West Mercia and the remaining 16% are from Shropshire.
The data recorded also found that 13% of the vehicles caught were light goods vehicles (LGVs), which is deemed high compared to the average of 8%.
PCC John Campion said: “When people started expressing their concerns over this road, I promised I would raise them with West Mercia Police with a view to carrying out some enforcement.
“Whilst I knew this road suffered with speeding, I am still staggered to see the data that has been gathered over the past few months. The majority of those caught speeding live in the West Mercia area, so I am disappointed that they are most likely familiar with the road and how dangerous it can be. As road users, we all have our part to play in reducing collisions on our roads – such as driving slower and respecting other drivers.
"I am grateful to the West Mercia Police Safer Roads team for acting so quickly and making this road a priority. As enforcement continues, and letters start landing on people’s doormats, I hope that people’s attitudes will change. We need to see the number of people losing their lives or becoming seriously injured on our roads dramatically reduce. It is simply not acceptable for people to continue driving at these excessive speeds and putting people’s lives at risk.”
Issued on: Wednesday 5th June
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