Thirty-five organisations across Derbyshire have successfully bid for funding from Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster to install Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) to boost road safety in their communities.
In honour of her Police and Crime Plan pledge to do more to increase the safety of road users across Derbyshire, Commissioner Foster launched a £150k Road Safety Grant scheme last year inviting voluntary groups, parish and town councils, charities and non-profit organisations to apply.
The funding was aimed at supporting communities to take a proactive approach to road safety issues in their area and to reduce the number of fatal and serious injuries. Grants were available to help cover some of the costs of SIDs in areas deemed suitable and other road safety related projects.
SIDs are temporary vehicle-activated signs used by local communities to display vehicle speeds through an area.
In areas where speeding is known to be a problem, SIDs remind drivers of their responsibilities behind the wheel and raise awareness of local speed limits. They are also proven to reduce traffic speeds at appropriate locations such as outside schools and in areas frequented by pedestrians.
Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster said: “Road safety is an important issue that affects us all. People want to see a robust approach to road safety in their communities which is why I have made Road Safety is a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan.
“Giving our communities the support, and resources, they need to take a proactive approach to speed reduction is important to me. Education is a vital way of encouraging motorists to change their driving habits and keep our roads safe in the long-term.
“I have also made it clear to the Chief Constable that I expect the force to step up its enforcement of our roads and have provided the investment necessary to support this work and give officers the tools and technology they need to do this effectively.
“The force has increased its enforcement activity and this, together with a lot of hard work from my own office is paying off. We have already seen a 25% decrease in fatalities* which is higher than the national trend.
There is always more to do and so I will continue to closely monitor the force’s performance on road safety to secure further safety improvements across our communities.
Following a thorough application process, Commissioner Angelique Foster has agreed to provide funding for 49 SIDs to a value of more than £124K to date.
The Road Safety Grant scheme supports the Commissioner’s plans to create stronger and safer communities and enable local people to play a proactive role in road safety and crime prevention.
A full list of grant recipients will be available on the Commissioner’s website (https://www.derbyshire-pcc.gov.uk/news/) in due course.
Ends
* Recent figures show the work is having a positive effect with a 25 per cent reduction in the number of fatalities in the 12 months up to September 30th 2022 compared to the same period in 2019 (which pre-dates covid and is not affected by periods of lockdown.)
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