Angelique Foster, Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, has met with parish councillors in Temple Normanton to see how her investment in Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) has improved road safety.
The Commissioner provided a grant to Temple Normanton Parish Council to install four SIDs in Chesterfield Road, Birkin Lane and Mansfield Road to tackle speeding.
SIDs are temporary vehicle-activated signs used by local communities to display vehicle speeds through an area. They remind drivers of their responsibilities behind the wheel and raise awareness of local speed limits, helping to reduce traffic speeds at appropriate locations including outside schools. They also collect important data to highlight trouble spots.
As part of her Police and Crime Plan priority to tackle Road Safety, the Commissioner invited parish and town councils across Derbyshire to apply for funding via her £150k Road Safety Grant scheme for the installation of SIDs in areas where speeding was proven to be a concern.
In total, the Commissioner has funded 70 installations across the county through the scheme.
She recently met Cllr Kevin Pashley, Vice Chair of Temple Normanton Parish Council, and Cllr Carl Bender at the SID locations to see first-hand how they are making a difference to residents.
Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster said: “Road safety matters to all residents wherever they live in the county. This is why I have invested significant funding since 2021 to increase police enforcement on our roads and ensure dangerous drivers are held accountable for their actions.
“I know residents are keen to play their part. The roll out of SIDs across our villages has empowered communities to take proactive action against the drivers who persistently endanger road users by reminding them of the impact their driving has on the people who live in these areas.
“I was pleased to meet Cllr Pashley and find out how positively these new devices have been received by residents. Many accidents are preventable and by working together, Derbyshire and its road network will become even safer.”
Kevin Pashley said: “Temple Normanton Parish is a very small village so we often depend on grant funding to carry out work and projects to improve the quality of life for the local community. We are delighted that our application to the Police and Crime Commissioner, for funding to support the installation of Speed Indicator Devices, was successful.
“We now have four devices in the parish, recording the data to make our roads safer and we were pleased to be able to thank her in person for her support.”
The parish council applied to the Commissioner’s Road Safety Grant scheme following complaints from residents of being flashed by drivers for maintaining the speed limit. There were also concerns about speeding drivers using the village as a ‘rat run’ to the M1 and the difficulty of crossing the road at peak times.
Previous installations funded by the Commissioner have achieved significant results.
In Dronfield, monitored speeds have reduced from an average of 38mph to between 30-34mph following SID installation.
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Picture Shows (L-R): Cllr Kevin Pashley, Cllr Carl Pashley and the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner
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