Wiltshire Police Crack Down on Speeding in Bid to Save Lives
Wiltshire Police have kicked off a hard-hitting week-long campaign targeting speeding, aiming to slash serious road traffic collisions in the county. The blitz coincides with national Road Safety Week, spearheaded by charity Brake.
No Excuses: Speeding Will Not Be Tolerated
Officers say they’ve heard every excuse under the sun—from running late and picking up kids, to feeling unwell—but stress there is never a good reason to speed. Excess speed remains one of the “fatal four” causes of crashes, alongside using mobiles at the wheel, not wearing seatbelts, and drink or drug driving.
Speeding cuts reaction times and lengthens stopping distances, especially dangerous in winter’s poor visibility and tricky road conditions.
Alarming Stats Show the Need for Action
- In 2019, Wiltshire saw 1,557 fatal or serious injury collisions—a slight drop from 1,650 in 2018.
- This year, 981 serious collisions reported, including 17 fatalities.
- July 2020 alone issued 214 speeding notices—nearly seven a day.
- Speed offenders included 9 going over 70mph on motorways, 133 flouting 30mph limits, and 50 breaking 40mph limits in local areas.
- Shockingly, 1 in 3 drivers nationally admit to travelling over 100mph.
Wiltshire’s roads policing and community teams will ramp up patrols and enforcement all week.
Official Voices: Saying No to Danger on Our Roads
“More lives are lost every year because of speeding, drink and drug driving, using phones behind the wheel and not wearing seatbelts,” said Inspector Mark Freeman, head of the roads policing unit.
“We want to educate, but we need the public on board. There’s no excuse for these offences — and during the last lockdown speeding was a real problem. We won’t let that happen again.”
Angus Macpherson, Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and swindon/" title="Swindon" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Swindon, added: “This campaign has my full support. Excessive speed wrecks lives—not just victims, but families, friends, and first responders.
“Even if roads feel quieter during lockdown, speeding is never justified. If we save just one family from a tragedy, this campaign will be a success.”
Swindon Councillor Maureen Penny said: “Dangerous driving damages lives and devastates families. We’re backing this campaign to drive home the message about safe driving.”
Wiltshire Councillor Bridget Wayman warned: “Speeding is even more dangerous in winter. The speed limit is a limit, not a target—too fast for many road conditions. We must all stick to limits and drive carefully.”
Wiltshire Police are taking no prisoners on speed. The message is clear: slow down or face the consequences. Lives depend on it.
