A COMMUNITY speed watch scheme has gone live in Ross-on-Wye.

Two years ago, Ross Town Council appealed for volunteers to take part in the proposed community speed watch scheme. This resulted in a lot of people putting themselves forward.

The scheme is a community driven road safety initiative, co-ordinated by West Mercia Police but managed and run by volunteers from the community.

It involves trained volunteers from the community monitoring the speeds of vehicles with approved, hand-held speed measurement devices.

The scheme is finally up and running with volunteers taking part in their first session this week.

The volunteers report drivers exceeding the speed limit to the police and when a vehicle’s speeds are found to be inappropriate, a letter is sent to the registered keeper by the police with the aim of encouraging them to reduce their speed when driving in the future.

If the data proves a driver is ignoring repeated warnings police can prosecute them.

The scheme’s aim is to reduce death and injury on the roads and improve the quality of life for local communities and increase public awareness of inappropriate speed.

The community speed watch does not result in prosecution itself. However, if a persistent speeding driver is identified through the scheme, police can use this evidence to take action against them if required.

If you are interested in joining the group of volunteers, email [email protected].