Last updated at 15:40, Thursday, 21 March 2013

A SPEEDING crackdown is set to get under way next on Barrow’s streets next week.

From Monday (25) Barrow police will be targetting town centre streets in a bid to clampdown on speeding following a number of complaints from residents.

During 2012, 1671 people were caught speeding in Barrow, with a number of drivers being recording at driving in excess of 50mph in a 30mph zone.

In August 2012, 49 speeding motorists were caught in one hour, all within the same area.

Inspector David Bosson, of South Cumbria Roads Policing Unit, said: “A lot of the concerns raised by the community relate to speeding and anti-social driving. In Barrow we are working to reduce these problems by high visibility work.

“We will be target specific hot spots in the town to reduce the level of speeding in these areas, many of which are subject to a 30 mph speeding restriction which is being ignored by many. Excessive speed leads to increased risk of injuries, excessive noise and anti-social driving.

“We do not believe that it is a lot to ask drivers to pay attention to the speed limits of the town and simply comply with them. Speeding is one of the significant ‘fatal four’ collisions, with drugs/alcohol, distractions such as using a mobile phone and not wearing a seat belt being the other three.

“Reducing your speed will not only prevent you running the risk of being prosecuted but could also save a life.”

Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes said: “In the recent public consultations held across the County, it became clear that speeding vehicles and careless driving were uppermost in the minds of many people when talking about effective policing. This initiative is a very timely response to public concerns about these things.”

First published at 15:38, Thursday, 21 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk