One of the key roles as Police and Crime Commissioner is to hold the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public, and make sure that Derbyshire Constabulary deliver on the key strategic priorities included in the Police and Crime Plan 2021/2025.
The Performance Scrutiny Meetings are just one of the ways that the Chief Constable is held to account. It is an opportunity for the force to provide extensive evidence on their performance and plans for improvements where necessary on the key priorities. It is also an opportunity for the public to send in specific additional questions.
Below are the questions that were submitted, alongside the response to those questions from the Chief Constable.
The Agenda and Papers and presentation submitted at the meeting are available to view.
Public Questions Submitted
20 is Plenty – (Topic is discussed at 1:26:15)
80) Can the Chief Constable please support the implementation of 20 mile per hour zones in (for instance) residential and shopping areas. Evidence shows that this is a major factor in reducing road casualties as well as increasing quality of life. Derbyshire County Council has a very poor record on establishing 20 mph zones compared to many other areas throughout the UK. Resistance to implementing 20 mph zones appears to come from both elected members as well as the Highway Authority. In stark contrast to many other Authorities.
92) What can Derbyshire Constabulary do to encourage Derbyshire County Council to adopt “signed only” 20mph speed limits where people live, i.e., in residential areas of towns and in villages, across the whole of Derbyshire?
93) Will the Police and Crime Commissioner and Derbyshire Constabulary now commit to supporting, promoting and enforcing reduced speed limits across their area of operations, including but not limited to wide-area 20mph zones in all areas of Derby and Derbyshire where people live, work and shop?
Driver collisions across Derbyshire Constabulary killed 40 people in 2019, a death rate that makes Derby and Derbyshire’s roads nine times as dangerous to our residents as working in UK industry. It is also a road death rate 46% higher than the British average at 3.8/100,000 vs 2.6/100,0003 .
Between 2018 and 2019, deaths and serious injuries on the roads nationally fell by 5%, yet within Derbyshire Constabulary deaths and serious injuries rose by 4% in the same period, continuing a 4-year trend of increasing deaths and serious injuries since reporting metrics changed in 2016. On average from 2016-2019 there were over 6 reported casualties per day on Derby and Derbyshire’s roads.
We know that a reduction in speed of just 1mph on our roads will result in an average 5% reduction in collisions. Any reduction in vehicle speeds on Derby and Derbyshire roads would therefore translate into a massive reduction of all deaths and injuries per year.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary have demonstrated best practice for the enforcement of 20mph limits, using proceeds from 20mph speed awareness courses to fund the ongoing costs of staffing and infrastructure for enforcement. In 2019 and 2020, Avon and Somerset issued approximately 30,000 tickets for speeding on 20mph limit roads.
Given that road safety is a key priority in the Police and Crime Plan and is critical to the wellbeing of everyone living, working and visiting the city and county, Derbyshire Constabulary must recognise that their historic opposition to speed limit reduction and enforcement is contributing to a huge burden of financial loss, suffering and death.
64) If you are serious about the state of the roads in the county then why have speed cameras not been seen in our village (Breaston) for at least 12 months and the roll out of “20’s plenty” is pitifully slow. As a deterrent our parish council now has its own speed watch group in an attempt to slow traffic
Chief Constables response regarding 20 is plenty:
The setting of local speed limits is completed by the Local Highway Authority with the Police being one of the statutory consultees as laid out in the DfT circular 01/2013, Setting Local speed Limits.
In relation to the 20 Plenty, there are currently two forms of 20’s, these are:
20mph speed Limits
20mph Zones
The difference is that whilst a limit is just indicated by means of the appropriate signage on the road there is nothing else to indicate that the road is in fact subject to a 20mph limit.
20mph zones must have the appropriate signage and also traffic calming engineering solutions built into the zone. These take the form of speed humps or speed reduction tables, build outs and chicanes.
The ultimate goal of either is to achieve compliance with the speed limit. Clearly the idea of a 20 zone gains better compliance than a limit, where the only way to achieve compliance is to use enforcement which although effective for a short period of time, rather than long term change or benefit.
When considering the lowering of existing speed limits there are factors which we have to take into consideration. DfT circular 2013 does mention that:
“Speed limits should be evidence-led and self-explaining and seek to reinforce people’s assessment of what is a safe speed to travel. They should encourage self-compliance”
It goes on to say:
“To achieve compliance there should be no expectation on the police to provide additional enforcement beyond routine activity, unless this has been explicitly agreed”, paragraph 85
“Evidence from successful 20mph schemes shows that the introduction of 20mph Zones generally reduces mean speed by more than is the case when a signed only 20mph Limit is introduced” paragraph 86.
Therefore, if a road has the appearance that it can be driven at a higher speed limit than is posted, then unless engineering is in place to reduce the speed the likelihood is that motorists will exceed the speed limit and extra enforcement will be required.
Not all roads in the county are applicable for a 20-mph speed limit but we do currently have approximately 180 20mph speed limits or zones throughout the county and more are being considered.
In relation to having 20 ZONES in residential areas and shopping areas, as asked in question 80, if these are engineered correctly to physically slow vehicles down to gain compliance then we would of course be in favour of these – they not only promote road safety but also enhance an area to make it more appealing to pedestrians, whilst assisting in the lowering of emissions.
The fact that a lower speed limit will result in fewer collisions is an undisputable fact. Although far from Derbyshire recording the highest fatal collision rates, question 92, we often see lower rates than many other forces with three fatal collisions year to date. Whilst the number of offences detected in Avon and Somerset (question 93) for exceeding 20 mph limits shows that they are using enforcement on these roads, it does also reflect the fact that these 30, 000 motorists, which equates to 42 per day, are not complying with the 20mph speed limit which would reinforce the need for properly engineered 20mph Zones.
For additional information concerning how speed camera locations are selected (Question 64), please note responses to other questions concerning speed cameras on page 21.
Cycling – (Topic is discussed as 1:33:00)
98) With household budgets coming under increasing pressure from rises in the cost of living, and in order to support road users looking to leave the car at home, what enforcement steps are being taken against motorists whose poor driving threatens the safety of cyclists?
34) The Force has previously undertaken “Close Pass” campaigns to ensure drivers are giving sufficient space to cyclists (and horse riders) when overtaking them. However, these campaigns are very infrequent and very geographically limited. What is the Force doing to ensure that the campaigns can be undertaken much more frequently and at an increased number of sites in Derbyshire?
What are the results of previous campaigns in terms of numbers of motorists warned or prosecuted?
Which locations and dates are scheduled for future campaigns?
35) As a cyclist, I have submitted video footage of ‘close pass’ and similar incidents by motorists on several occasions via the ‘Capcha’ system. I have been given absolutely no feedback regarding what steps, if any, have been taken by the police as a result of these submissions, despite requests on occasion. It is therefore tempting to conclude that I am wasting my time recording and submitting footage of such dangerous driving behaviour. Can arrangements be made in future to provide such feedback?
67) Following recent changes to the Highway Code to protect cyclists and pedestrians, wouldn’t it make sense to make it legal for cyclists to wear Hi-Vis clothing to make them more visible when on the road. Many seem to wear dark colours (black appears to be a favourite!!). This could also apply to motor cyclists who also seem to ride in
97) What more can be done by the Police to protect cyclists on the roads in Derbyshire? The county benefits from some of the best scenery in the UK, but many roads (such as Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass) are terrifying for cyclists and pedestrians (which isn’t helped by dangerous driving).
20) Considering how many cycling groups and clubs exist in Derbyshire, should the police engage with those cyclists via annual meetings/forums with them to discuss safety points and offer the opportunity for cyclists to ask questions to traffic police?
33) Cyclists use the pavements at will these days with no regard for pedestrians. If the use of electric scooters are eventually sanctioned the misuse of pavements will certainly increase. What strategies does the Chief Constable have in place for this eventuality?
96) I would like to understand why the Derbyshire police are not following the highest level of best practice regarding submissions of camera footage of road incidents. When I report incidents I feel have put my safety at risk I receive no reference number nor closure of follow up and not knowing the final outcome. It leaves me with the impression no action is taken and it reduces my confidence in the road policing in Derbyshire hugely compared to similar submissions in neighbouring Cheshire East.
Chief Constables response regarding Cycling:
Derbyshire police supports Operation Close Pass which is a national operation to support vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders. It seeks to educate people to be more aware of the space required by these groups on the road. Information about Operation Close Pass results and future campaigns can be found in the Public Scrutiny Meeting (PSM) report provided by the force (see section 7) which covers all road safety campaigns undertaken. The force also runs a separate campaign specifically around those on two wheels, details of which can again be found in the PSM report. A recent change in the Highway Code has created a hierarchy of road users and this puts cyclists towards the top of that list.
In terms of making His Vis clothing a legal requirement for cyclists that would be for government to decide upon but wearing the correct clothing and visibility is a key message we promote during our campaigns including the wearing of helmets for cyclists.
Since 2019 Derbyshire Police have run Operation Capture (covered at 10.4 in the PSM report) which allows members of the public to directly upload dash cam or other footage to the police of dangerous or inconsiderate driving. This is open to everyone including cyclists and the report details action taken. A recent change in how we operate this scheme means that all submitters will now receive an update on their submission. It isn’t always possible though to keep everyone updated with all the final outcomes but please be reassured that every submission is acted upon, and you will see in the report the growth in positive outcomes from this scheme.
In response to Question 33, information about the force’s response to the illegal use of E-scooters is contained in answers to questions 15 and 69.
Community Speedwatch – (Topic is discussed at 1:37:37)
12) I have been willing to be a Community Speed Watch member but i am unable to set up a group due to not having funds to buy equipment. I even had to pay for an identity badge!
Will it be possible to be provided equipment such a radar(?) guns ?
29) Can the PCC offer any grants to offset the costs we incurred when we purchased the equipment required for the Speed Watch Group. If so this grant would go back to the Parish Council.
40) Why are the Police wasting time and effort on ” Community speed watch ” events – areas of concern about speeding should be addressed by fulltime police officers that can issue a summons, not sent a letter to the offender asking them to behave in future
Chief Constables Response to Community Speedwatch:
The community speed watch scheme focusses on education and changing societal attitudes to speeding. Whilst enforcement has its place, research shows that education is more effective in changing attitudes than prosecution. The scheme provides an opportunity for local communities to directly contribute to an issue that affects them daily, working alongside their police safer neighbourhood teams and councils. (Please see section 4 of the PSM report for speed enforcement activity across Derbyshire).
There is no dedicated central fund of money to purchase speed watch equipment. Periodically funds do become available to us to assist people in setting up schemes and some money will become available for this in April. However, I do also understand that you Commissioner has some funds which are available for communities to support them in setting up the Community Speed Watch.
TAX/MOT – (Topic is discussed at 1:43:46)
11) How are the Police going to apply enforcement against drivers/owners of vehicles that do not have current road tax and MOT. Many of these vehicles are unroad-worthy and therefore dangerous to the owners, their families, and the general public.?
13) I have reported in total 5 vehicles parked on our close. All of them have no tax, test and insurance. A policeman rang me who said there was nothing he could do on the first vehicle I reported. The second and third vehicles I never heard anything. The 4th and 5th vehicles I was given crime numbers. These vehicles park up over night or early morning and disappear a few days later during late evening or early morning.
Chief Constable response to TAX/MOT:
Police have no power to deal with untaxed vehicles and the responsibility for this sits wholly with the DVLA. Details of how to report an untaxed vehicle can be found on their website.
Unfortunately, in circumstances where people report others for not having an MOT or Insurance for example, we are not always able to provide individual updates around this sometimes due to data protection, but we will review all reports and priorities action based of a number of factors.
Please see the PSM report section 7.8 which talks about Operation Tutelage for more details about Insurance enforcement across Derbyshire.
Parking – (Topic is discussed at 1:46:37)
7) With regards to road safety, in our community we are blighted with pavement parking. As there’s no action by police regarding these obstructions they have become the de facto standard. Even where parking places are available vehicles are parked partially or fully across the pavements. As a result pedestrians are forced into unsafe options, and the disabled and children forced onto roads. Concerted police action against these obstructions would change the attitudes of drivers who are otherwise law abiding and conscientious.
54) I have seen an increase in traffic and poor parking in the Peak District since the pandemic and as a local Peak park resident, makes getting about difficult – what is being done to stop Peak Park tourists parking with no consideration for others?
10) How will the Police enforce “no parking” on pavements, verges and facing wrong way on any road?
23) I am concerned about safety & the flow of traffic with illegally parked cars. In particular parking near crossings with zig zag lines. Can we utilise safety cameras to address this issue as it has become common practice with individuals realising they can get away with it?
19) When will the police tackle dangerous parking I.e blocking a view of the road from a side road. There are so many near misses due to dangerous parking at junctions but no one seems to want to do anything about it, neither the council or the police. After a preventable accident/loss of life is too late
52) When are the police going to take action against people who continually park illegally on double white lines? Ripley Road at Upper Hartshay continually has a string of such vehicles every day. This is on a blind sharp bend, the lines are there because of the obvious danger but are constantly ignored.
56) I live on Dove Road Ripley and there are always cars parked on the pavements. As I see Two people regularly go up Dove Road in mobility scooters, they have to ride in the middle of the road to get past them. Do the police ever check on pavement parking in dangerous cases. We seem to be ignoring disable people in Derbyshire
60) Can the Chief Constable confirm That it is illegal to park on the pavement anywhere in Derbyshire on the understanding that they must have driven illegally on the pavement in order to park there. If someone then reports this to the police will there be any action taken?. Even If Photo or Video evidence is available.
88) Why are vehicles constantly being allowed to park on white zigzags and even pedestrian crossings in Ripley mainly at night after 5pm and at weekends usually where there are takeaways. This has been going on for a long time and I have personally witnessed a police car driving past the vehicles and not doing anything about this. I have even asked two servings police officers if this is illegal and was told this is a matter for Derbyshire county council. Can this be confirmed as true because if not it’s very worrying that they don’t know the traffic laws.
5) Stanton Road has a junior school and always suffers traffic issues around drop-off/pick-uptimes. It is a fairly narrow road made worse when “mummies” park in a fairly haphazard way. In addition, there seems to be a local community of boy racers in hatchbacks that seem quite happy driving along Stanton Road at speed. In all, I’m amazed at the lack of fatalities. What can the police do to minimise the chances of there being one?
51) Whose job is it to deal with cyclists riding on the pavements plus in pedestrian market places also vehicle” s parking on double yellow lines and blocking pavements and just to finish off vehicle” s parking for hours in bus stops
79) When driving through the villages why don’t the police move on or ticket vehicles parked on junctions or too close to junctions?
83) Within 1/4 mile of where I live I see police cars (no blue lights,) not adhering to law on a daily basis. They park on yellow lines or hatched areas while they go into a shop or a takeaway to get something to eat (they deserve a break but they should find somewhere else to park). When traffic is queuing at the local roundabout they regularly drive in the outside lane (no blue lights), which is for right turn ONLY, and then go straight on cutting up those who have queued to correctly to go straight on. I’m sure there are similar occurrences throughout Derby and Derbyshire on a daily basis, but I only see those in my immediate vicinity.
How do you expect drivers to obey the law, respect the police, and have respect for other drivers, when those tasked with enforcing the law don’t?
Chief Constables response to Parking:
Parking issues are dealt with through a combination of local authorities and the police. Local authorities have responsibility for the majority of parking infringements such as parking on single and double yellow lines and school keep clear areas.
The highway code contains guidance and rules, and these can often be misinterpreted as law.
Whilst local authorities can utilise cameras to assist with parking infringements, presently police only use camera technology for the detection of speeding offences.
Police regularly receive reports of parking issues around schools which is not an offence the police can enforce but local authorities do have powers to deal with drivers at these locations. If there are continued problems that represent a danger to road users and in particular children, or interference with the flow of traffic, then the police local safer neighbourhood team for the area can take action in the form of visible patrols, offering advice and education. Out local SNTs do carry out such activities.
Police do have powers to deal with parked vehicles in certain circumstances such as when a vehicle has been left in a dangerous position or is causing an unnecessary or wilful obstruction. These incidents would have to be dealt with on an individual basis and could result in the vehicle being removed. For example, a vehicle abandoned in the middle of the carriageway with no lights at night or on a blind bend clearly represents a danger to other road users. If a vehicle parked on a pavement causes pedestrians (such as a person with a pushchair) to have to move into the road to pass, then this is only an obstruction at that location at that specific time. To act upon this the police would need to be present at the time.
There is no offence of parking close to the mouth of a junction unless it is clearly dangerous except for being within 10m of a junction during the hours of darkness. If an officer witnesses this, they do have the option to issue the vehicle or driver if present, with a traffic offence report (TOR).
Parking on the offside at night (facing against the flow of traffic) is an offence. Police take a pragmatic approach to this. In densely populated areas such as around city centres, vehicles are parked tightly and do not necessarily cause a danger if their reflectors are not visible. A vehicle parked on the offside at night on a derestricted road could potentially cause a danger to other road users and could be dealt with by police.
Parking on a section of the carriageway with double white lines and parking within the zig zag area of a pedestrian crossing are offences and if an officer witnesses these offences, then they should deal with the driver or the vehicle if the driver is not present. If considered dangerous, vehicles can be removed.
Parking on the pavement and having to drive a short distance to do so is not an offence that the Police deal with unless a vehicle is driven a substantial distance putting pedestrians at risk. The increase in vehicle ownership often results in multiple vehicles having to park with nearside or offside wheels on the pavement to keep the carriageway clear. Parking on the pavement is not in itself an offence (except in London) so any offence committed would have to amount to a dangerous obstruction.
Parking in contravention of restrictions, such as double yellow lines or in hatch marked areas, by police is not permitted unless they are attending an incident. Then they are expected to apply decision-making and weigh up the potential risk caused by the parking infringement and the time spent looking for an appropriate place to park against the need to attend the incident in question. We expect our officers to conduct themselves in a professional and law-abiding manner and we thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
Derbyshire police operate a third-party video submission facility known as ‘Operation Capture’. This is to deal with incidents of dangerous driving such as travelling through red traffic lights, crossing over double white lines, and driving without due care and attention. It is not designed to deal with parking offences.
Speeding and Noise – (Topic is discussed at 1:55:29)
6) Following shocking fatal accident on Harvey Road in Derby, is there any plan for traffic calming measures along that stretch of road?
43) I would just LOVE to know what more the police can do to ensure the public sticks to the 30mph speed restriction signs in Brailsford village – and elsewhere! We have tried hard to get another flashing sign for the Ashbourne end of the village, and the old one near the Rose and Crown needs renovation, but nothing seems to happen. HOW do we get drivers to follow the new addition to the Highway Code?
49) I live in Taddington. A number of residents here including myself have notified the police about motorbikes using the A6 by pass as a race track every Sunday when it is dry. The police have not as far as I am aware monitored this at all. My question is why? Not only is this seriously dangerous given the number of footpaths across the by pass but the noise to the whole of the village is offensive. This is not a one off it is a very regular race.
62) What are you going to do about speeding vehicles and anti social behaviour?
65) Ashbourne SNT remains woefully short of its budgetted numbers, It may be about to loose staff. When are we going to see additional boots on the ground. Additionally it is the time of Racing Motor bikes on the Flying Mile across Carsington Dam, extreme noise and 150 mph sprints are unacceptable
82) I live on the A623 in Baslow and day and night there is a constant stream of speeding cars and lorries through the village. Warning motorists when there is a camera van in the village will obviously prevent officers capturing the magnitude of the issue. What extra measures can be put in place to stop the dangerous driving in the village?
87) With such a low profile of police in the area, I have observed many instances of motorist and cyclists ignoring the law. During the last week, I have observed speeding cars on the A623 between the Anchor crossroads in Tideswell and Sparrowpit, cyclists overshooting red traffic lights in Peak Forest and cyclists riding on the wrong side of the road near Great Longstone. In addition, it is quite normal to see motorists driving at 85 to 90 mph on the M1 in the county. What actions are being taken to enforce the law in these areas?
9) The A623, which runs through Peak Forest is a 30 mph road, data recorded by DCC shows 9000 plus vehicle movements a day, with over 1500 vehicles travelling over 39 mph day and night, CREST when present remove the problem, but when they’ve gone the problem is back. What can you do on a longer term basis to help the residents.
66) Will the police consider attending school crossing patrols in order to enforce the flashing 20mph signs? In my village (with two infants / junior schools) this temporary speed limit is completely ignored. Motorists need educating and constant reminders. The lollipop people do receive abuse from motorists.
74) I live on a busy main road namely Lowleighton road. I would like to raise the immense speed of vehicles which use this road, there are two blind corners whereby vehicles come round at tremendous speed, on occasion mounting the pavement. There is no thought for residents, which include elderly people and families with young children. Many animals have been mained/killed on this road due to careless arrogant drivers.
My worry being someone will either be seriously injured or more seriously killed.
I have asked if speed cameras could be looked into or even raised ramps in the road to slow down the traffic, I did get an email from the council basically receiving negative feedback. I have discussed these serious issues with the local pcso female officer who agrees with my concerns.
Being honest this is an accident waiting to happen, hopefully my request will not fall on deaf ears and something will be done.
91) We are concerned re the speed of traffic (the vast majority vehicles speed) over, mainly Marsh Lane* & the difficulties it creates for those mentioned above. Marsh Lane Trading Estate & Beard Hall Farm Lane converge & lead onto Marsh Lane (which in itself is a very winding road & care is needed on it’s whole length) The problems are mainly trying to access Marsh lane from these side roads, due to the addition of parked vehicles & the natural bends, it can at times be extremely difficult & dangerous, plus drivers can be aggressive & do not slow for pedestrians. Highways say no accidents have been reported, but that is probably due to three possible reasons,
1. being the extra care residents etc take pulling out at this, often blind junction, or pedestrians trying to cross, especially elderly & youngsters.
3. These go unreported.
The Traffic calming measures introduced many years ago for the same problems are next to useless, as one of the two speed humps which should slow vehicles passing these access roads, has been lowered & the vast majority do not slow for this, in fact some just take off over it. Due to parked vehicles, drivers are frequently seen to brake sharply & pull in at an angle at this access point, this is an additional concern.
We logged 406 vehicles in one hour (over both directions) last September, so sometimes, especially when A6 is blocked there is no let up in traffic to enable easy of crossing or pulling onto Marsh Lane.
Two local councillors have done their best, one with Highways & one with HPBC to cut back the undergrowth on THEIR land which can hide the Sign which is the only indication that the side roads exist, the SLOW sign is frequently hidden under parked cars. Unfortunately, at this present time this has not been achieved The other Councillor organised a speed check, but this was done further over Marsh Lane, therefore did not assess the are we had hoped it would cover, namely the entrance to the access points.
*I mentioned that Marsh Lane was our main concern, but have observed that there appears to be a problem from the traffic lights from the A6 all the way to Hayfield, we notice it on Lowleighton Road, Hayfield Road & New Mills Road. Marsh Lane from an additional point it can be used as a direct route to the M67, cross over Church Road, , Hyde Bank, Dye house Lane, Mellor Road, through Mellor and on the way to the M67. Just another attraction of Marsh Lane as a shortcut as well as taking traffic of the A6.
18) Why do the Police and PCSO s seem unwilling unable incapable of dealing with dangerous driving speeding and dangerous inconsiderate parking?
89) The have been numerous accidents on the A632 Chesterfield – Matlock road in the past few years on the stretch between the Old Three Horseshoes pub at Stanedge and the top of Slack Hill, this section of road is know as ‘the flying Mile’ as it is a long straight stretch of road. One of the more recent ones proved to be fatal.
Ashover Parish Council have, for a the last few years, been trying to have some sort of traffic calming or safety improvements made on this stretch of road. Warning signs have been erected but there are still accidents on a regular basis. The main site of the accidents are the cross roads at Span Carr, which is where the fatality occurred, but there are also many complaints about speeding through Kelstedge. I have full details of 18 accidents (not including the fatality) on this stretch of road which can be supplied if required.
22) Problem with speeding traffic in Bolsover area.
41) I’d love to know of any plans to help curb speeding in my local area – on the A619 (particularly across the entrance to Whitwell Woods where it’s incredibly dangerous to cross) but also on local Whitwell and Hodthorpe roads, especially outside Hodthorpe school. My family and I see so many near misses – and pavement mounts – from drivers who are either unaware of their speed or are safe in the knowledge that nobody is ‘watching’.
45) Ourselves and other residents on our road have complained to the local police about people using our road as a cut through and driving at stupid speeds this is a residential road with young and old people living on it we have had accidents and yet the police have refused to do anything about it we have been told there has to be 3 accidents before they will do anything we want to know why we have to wait till someone is killed before the police will look at it
99) Walton Road, Chesterfield is becoming a race track and it is becoming increasingly hazardous to cross the road other than at the bottom of the road where there is a central reservation and a zebra crossing. I have witnessed several accidents. The 30 mile speed limit at the bottom of the road is ignored. Why can’t we have a speed camera or at least a crossing? Do we have to wait for a fatality before something is done?
85) Too much speeding on Walton Road, Chesterfield. From the bottom of the road at small roundabout as people come from Morrisons to Walton Road, cars, motorcycles speed up the road all the time. Also coming down the road there is a 30mph sign that lights up when speeding over 30mph. Happens a lot. I contacted DCC to ask for a speed cameras on there like on Chatsworth road, but they said they could not put speed cameras on there until there was a FATALITY !!! . There have been serious accidents on there. Also the entrance to Walton Dam is used regularly by dog walkers etc. crossing the road.
100) Why are we on Matlock Road and Walton Road subject to cars and motorbikes consistently travelling at over the speed limit when little or nothing is done to stop this . Plus what other residential area has to put up with large heavy goods vehicles which use Walton Road like a rat run . Noise and poor air quality is a major issue .
16) A6007 Heanor rd Codnor is a 30 road but is often driven through by vehicles at around 40 due to its visibility down \ up wards hill. With a school and shops on the road what would be your thoughts on a interactive speed sign letting those over 30 know they’re exceeding the road speed and a bonus would be a crossing near the Hunts shop.
24) Since lockdown and after, excessive traffic speeds along the 30mph A609 at Smalley have made the road highly dangerous. I have even seen a van undertake on the pavement, at speed, to get past a car waiting to turn right into a driveway.
About three years ago officers put up a mobile speed trap one Saturday morning. But word soon got out on social media (normal, the officers said) and so people drove slowly…until the police had gone.
So a more permanent traffic calming measure is needed because it’s become dangerous, noisy and frightening to live here. Realising that the police only have finite resources and that this is a much wider problem than just on my road, how is this antisocial problem going to be tackled, please?
94) The whole of the centre of the village of South Wingfield is
a) A Conservation Area and
b) Subject to a speed limit of 30 m.p.h.
The main route through the village includes Manor Road and Church Lane. Entering and leaving in/from the Crich end is along Manor Road, which includes narrow stretches and a nasty bend. The whole of Manor Road is being used as a racetrack. On average, it appears that 70 to 80 per cent of the vehicles are exceeding the speed limit by 20 to 30 m.p.h. This includes cars, lorries vans and buses. As for Church Lane, vehicles also very often travel at speeds well in excess of the limit. This is often exacerbated by the number of parked vehicles, sometimes on both sides of the road. There is also an infants’ school at the side of the road. It seems that no attempt is being made to calm the traffic through the village – never any safety cameras or other deterrents to inconsiderate people who seem to think the limits do not apply to them.
63) The ring road around the Cavendish area is still like a Grand Prix at night. Is there any plans for traffic issues at night?
31) Will the Chief Constable strongly support a reduction to the current generous criteria for prosecuting vehicles who are caught exceeding the speed limit (currently speed limit x 10% plus 2) to speed limit and would they also support a change to the current criteria for reviewing road speed limits from the 85%/15% rule to 95%/5%?
1) There are issues around dangerous speeding motorbikes in Cotmanhay, especially leading to the waste ground near to the viaduct. Local team will know about this as it has been ongoing for years but with little visible action or change. Many of these bikes are unlicensed and ergo uninsured and driven with little regard to safety. This is not only a road safety issue but also ASB due to the dangers involved and also the noise of the bike without exhausts. As the weather improves this will be an ongoing weekend issue leading to daily issue during school holidays. Can more be done to tackle this concern?
27) How can you help with stopping people driving on a pavement on Woodville Road, Overseal? And stopping drivers in vehicles over 7-5ton from using said road, and prevent people speeding on same road, the limit is 30 mph but vehicles travel a lot faster than this.
Stuart Swann the local councillor arranged a meeting with our local SNT team who said steps would be taken to hopefully stop these issues.
This was a few months ago, I understand people can’t stand all day to monitor but maybe at certain busy times or is there anything that can be done to the pavement to prevent cars mounting? It’s usually in one particular area. I have rung companies including a coach firm with schoolchildren on board when I have witnessed them on the pavement! I fear that someone will be seriously injured especially with the pavement driving which happens on a daily basis!
59) I am concerned about the speed of vehicles coming out of Repton and approaching the junction of Tanners Lane/Burton road. If people are crossing from Tanners Lane they set off with a clear road and suddenly by the time they are half way across a car appears round the corner at speed from the left… It is quite likely they have crawled along the Willington Road, been stopped by a red pedestrian crossing light by the church, and so feel frustrated and late…. One day there will be an horrendous accident at this spot – I hope we do not have to wait for this to happen.
30) Can we increase patrols around the Whitemoor/ Hunters Way/John O’Gaunts Way areas in Belper to try to prevent the constant racing of noisy motorbikes and scooters doing wheelies along the road ?
61) I would like to know what is being done about aggressive drivers, tail gaiting and speeding. Everyday I witness dangerous driving. People in such a rush, impatience, under taking, pulling out in front of traffic, driving 1 metre behind at 70pm. I feel vulnerable and bullied whilst driving to work and keeping to speed limits. I never see police on the roads monitoring traffic and speaking to dangerous drivers. People’s driving has got considerably worse these past couple of years, its shocking.
72) For several years residents have been plagued by vehicles which have been modified to make the silencers bang and pop and generally make unnecessary noise. This activity is especially noticeable when accelerating from traffic lights or at road junctions. It may be an antisocial rather than a criminal act, but it also involves fast and erratic driving in order to have the maximum effect. This is a year round road safety issue, but it becomes prolific at times during better weather. I read in the media about people who have appeared in court/ received fines for exceeding the legal speed limit, but I have never seen a reference to any action being taken against someone who’s car exceeds the legal noise level, or for dangerous driving/ speeding in order to achieve this.
48) Off road motorcycles in Birchvale.
86) It is evident that motoring and vehicle crimes of practically every description are routinely tolerated. For example speeding, untaxed vehicles, vehicles without MOT, illegible and missing number plates, illegally tinted windows, vehicles with non-working headlights and other lights.
Speeding, for example was identified by the previous PCC as a major concern throughout the county, yet action to tackle it is patchy at best. Does the Chief Constable agree that more focus on these crimes might help to dispel the belief held by many people that they can do as please with complete impunity?
75) Roads policing should be EVERYBODY’s responsibility within the police not just RPU’s. There should be pressure put on SNT supervision and section supervision to focus on fatal four offences and adequately action drug and drink drive incidents. Our current response is appalling. Police officers are criticised for being proactive and focusing on traffic work. What are you doing to sort this??
101) My surveys of traffic speeds in Ticknall show 99% of vehicles exceed 30, up to 80mph, and at 47.3mph, exceed the 85%ile criterion 36mph for survey/ enforcement of 30mph. In Derbyshire a strict criteria (sic), of 4 serious/fatal accidents in 3 years supercedes the national advice of 3 SFA in 3 years from Dept. of Transport. Meanwhile Ticknall residents suffer excessive noise and atmospheric pollution which are both recognised as injurious to health. We see average pollution at twice, and peaks more than 4 times what it would be at 30mph. Why can Police avoid responsibility and hide behind their criteria (sic), and do nothing when the situation is awful and deteriorating?
Highways have avoided giving information by breach of the Freedom of Information Act. Public information that I have seen since March 2021 said that 1 driver has been fined, and five sent a warning letter for speeding in Ticknall, out of perhaps 400,000 vehicle transits per annum.
Chief Constables response regarding Speeding and Noise:
We would like to thank all those members of the public that have submitted these questions. Whilst most highlight genuine concerns about speeding across our county, a range of other issues and offences are referred to which are addressed below.
Speeding – It is well-evidenced that excessive speeds lead to more road collisions and as such, tackling this issue is a priority for Derbyshire Police. The large volume of questions submitted linked to speeding shows how important this issue is to the public and we note over 20 different locations of concern have been raised through these questions. Although it is not possible to provide a detailed picture of specific police activity at each of these sites, we would like to thank everyone for highlighting these areas of concern and we will perform as assessment on each to decide what action is required, feeding it into our activities to tackle speeding as appropriate.
All community concerns over speeding are assessed with many in the first instance being allocated to our local Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) for action. This allows local teams to promptly work with the community, as together, they have a good understanding of the area and its priorities. Low level enforcement tactics can be used, which can include setting-up local community speed watch schemes or local speed check sites where officers can collect and measure data.
If the SNT concludes that there is an elevated risk to the public from speeding, this information is then escalated to the force’s Casualty Reduction Enforcement Support Team (CREST) and our Roads Policing Unit (RPU). They will assess the information further and will consider if additional resources need to be allocated to help tackle the problem or if specific road safety initiatives should be implemented. This could involve mobile police van or police motorbike enforcement, use of Operation SafeDrive, speed surveys (conducted by Derbyshire County Council – DCC), new road signs (responsibility of DCC) or additional traffic calming measures e.g., speed humps, chicanes, Visual Aid Signs (these are the responsibility of the DCC) etc. CREST will not routinely enforce at locations where there are existing traffic calming measures in place, such as schools, unless other data or information suggests the site is a high risk. Finally on this important issue, there are no current plans for the force to change its speed enforcement thresholds and we will remain in line with national guidance.
Noise Nuisance – Responsibility for addressing noise complaints primarily sits with local authorities though where there are significant problems, police Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) across Derbyshire will work alongside dedicated local authority officers to respond to public concerns. In addition, as in previous years, the force’s Roads Policing and CREST teams will be dedicating some of their time this year to targeting areas which tend to suffer from speeding motorbikes and the excessive noise that they can sometimes generate. Through recently agreed funding from the Derby & Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership, dedicated officers will be out and about across the county, between Spring to Autumn, looking for noisy, speeding bikes. Areas in the North-West of the county in particular will benefit from these extra patrols.
Other Motoring offences – a wide range of other motoring offences are referred to within these questions including dangerous/anti-social/aggressive driving, no insurance, cyclists going through red lights, breaches of HGV weight limits and defective vehicles to highlight just a few. Whilst any of our officers are trained and able to deal with such offences, our Roads Policing Unit prioritise road safety and tackling motoring offences be it through education or enforcement as required. We are also increasing our capacity to deal with off-road vehicles such as motorbikes by funding an increase in the force’s off-road vehicle fleet.
Conclusion – Planned increases in Derbyshire police officer numbers, funded through the national Police Uplift Program, should increase the force’s ability to do even more to help keep our roads safe.
The PSM Report though provides a thorough and comprehensive overview of all of the force’s current road safety activity. It includes more information on speeding and how we tackle other road safety concerns such as poor driving or no insurance through other campaigns such as Operation Capture and Operation Tutelage. We commend the report to the public which we hope will help reassure everyone that we take road safety extremely seriously.
General Driving – (Topic is discussed at 2:05:38)
21) Drivers who are not using indicators and are going too slow (for example 30miles/h on a 60mil/h road) are every day examples I see on my way to work and home. Many dangerous situations and near misses have happened in these situations. People get impatient driving behind someone who’s slow, overtaking when it’s not safe to do so.
Is there any plans on educating drivers to use the indicators and keep up to the speed limit and the road conditions? Maybe driving instructors need more qualifications than just a clean licence and ability to pay for a instructors contract? Not staying in lane/hugging the middle of the road is another common danger. Maybe the conditions of passing drivers licence should be stricter, and the crackdown on drivers without licence/insurance could make a difference.
58) Dangerous driver Shuttlewood Chesterfield.
50) What can be done to address aggressive driving? For example drivers that express there emotions by driving very close to other road users and behave in a threatening manner.
39) The driving on Britain’s roads is definitely getting worse. Many people appear to believe it is acceptable to drive dangerously close to the car in front, on all roads especially dual carriage ways and often in an intimidating way, instead of leaving a safe distance. This must be a cause of many RTAs. What is being done about this?
78) Who decides how uninsured and unlicensed drivers are dealt with?
The minimum fixed penalty fine for driving without insurance is currently £300 and 6 penalty points. The average cost of insurance is currently £412 per year making it cheaper not to bother with insurance.
Driving without a valid driving licence could earn a maximum fine of £1,000, between three and six penalty points and a possible ban, both enforceable when a driving test is passed.
Over 130 people are killed and 26,000 are left injured in collisions involving uninsured and untraced drivers every year. Drivers without insurance and/or a licence are also more likely to commit a ‘hit and run’ and be involved in other crimes.
The minimum fixed penalty fines for both driving without a licence and driving without insurance should be raised significantly possibly to as much as £5000 for a first offence, the fine doubled for a second offence and for a third offence an automatic prison sentence plus a fine.
For both offences, the car should be crushed without exception.
73) Published data gives the cost to society of a road fatality as £2million, and serious injuries about £250k – and this takes no account of pain and grief. Wouldn’t a simple cost-benefit analysis suggest a huge increase in traffic policing, with the aim of greater enforcement of speeding, under-influence and no-insurance laws?
Chief Constables response to General Driving:
Driving too slowly can sometimes be as dangerous as driving too fast as it creates impatience and can often cause people to want to overtake when it’s not safe. There is no actual offence of driving too slowly unless there is a minimum speed limit in place. In general, most roads only have a maximum speed limit. Each case would have to be judged on its own merits taking into account driver experience and ability, road and weather conditions etc but reports of inconsiderate driving due to speed can be reported through Op Capture as detailed in the PSM report section – 10.4 as can dangerous and aggressive driving such as tailgating.
While the police may issue fines, the amount of that fine is set and cannot be altered by police. If a case progresses to court, the court fines and any points awarded can vary case by case dependent on the circumstances, but fines can be unlimited in some circumstances.
Police have the power to seize uninsured vehicles being driven on the road under section 165 of the road traffic act 1988 and this is something Derbyshire police do routinely in most circumstances. Derbyshire police seize hundreds of vehicles using this legislation every year and can lead to the vehicle being destroyed. To get a vehicle back after its seizure the keeper would need to prove ownership and provide a valid insurance certificate. They would also need to pay the cost of all removal and storage of the vehicle which can amount to a significant sum.
E-Scooters – (Topic is discussed at 2:09:45)
15) What is being done about kerbing the number of escooters and ebikes frequently seen on pavements. This appears worse in Derby City centre around areas like St. Peters St. But can be anywhere? Somebody will get seriously injured one day. Riding them is illegal on pavements.
69) What are you doing about the large number of electric scooters being ridden at speed on pavements and roads? They seem to be able to do so with impunity
Chief Constables response to E-Scooters:
The widespread use of E-Scooters is becoming ever more popular, not just in Derbyshire but across the country. The sale, purchase and ownership of E-Scooters is not illegal in the UK and currently the law does not require the registration of such items. They can, legally however only be used on private land and not on the highway but there are many petitions circulating including from retailers to make their use legal. There are currently Government led, legal trials of rental E-Scooters taking place in many major cities across the UK, Derby one of those places. The trial was due to come to an end but has been extended by the Government until November 2022. This is in order for them to have the best possible data set available for review.
E-Scooters generally and the law surrounding them have been discussed widely and are still being discussed at Government level. Many see them as revolutionising the way we travel and see huge benefits in terms of both pollution and congestion and they may well feature in the Governments plans to reduce carbon emissions. Others see them as a danger and many Insurance companies are publicly reporting a rise in incidents. Thankfully in Derbyshire we have seen very few injuries caused relating to their use, but we accept that one injury is one too many. We are anticipating new laws surrounding the use of E-Scooters but until then there are laws that cover them.
E-Scooters are classed as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEV’s) and are covered under legislation which puts them into the same category as any motor vehicle. To be able to use one on a road legally you would need a driving licence and Insurance etc. The reality of this is that there is not currently any Insurance company that could legally insure anyone to use an E-Scooter on a road outside of the government trials taking place which would make it impossible to legally use a privately purchased E-Scooter on a road. This may of course change with any new legislation.
Under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, Privately owned E-Scooters can be seized if used on public roads, which includes cycle lanes and pavements and disposed of with the owner receiving a fine. Since the beginning of 2021 we have held a detailed database to monitor the issues arising from the use of E-Scooters in Derbyshire which includes many seized scooters and prosecutions for driving offences, so we do take positive action when the opportunity arrives. We have worked with retailers to have appropriate signage in stores and on their web pages warning people of the limitations on use. We also run media campaigns around their illegal use.
If you are aware of a specific issue in your area you can contact your local safer Neighbourhood team who will look to try and tackle this but please rest assured the wider use of these scooters is a hot topic around the country and we will continue to monitor and take positive action whenever we can.
Speed Cameras – (Topic is discussed at 2:11:43)
3) Why are speed cameras not used more on “rat runs”?
On Sycamore Road in Birchvale in the last 5 years have seen accidents involving drink and speeding, three of these involve cars hitting stationary cars and three involved rolled cars due to speed and loss of control. Something needs doing before somebody is killed
25) The average speed cameras on the Cat and Fiddle road have transformed use of the road for the benefit of cyclists. Could the Long Hill road be given priority for a similar installation?
4) When driving in Chesterfield and local area I habitually see cars being warned to reduce speed by automated speed warning signs, within both 30 mph and 50 mph sections. They are occasionally successful in causing motorists to break and reduce speed but are often ignored. Is it possible to use these systems to record a car’s number plate and so prosecute for speeding, maybe by adding a camera if necessary?
17) Why are speed cameras situated to generate revenue instead of concentrating on safety. I cannot think of a single camera in this county situated in the correct location for safety.
If revenue is the only reason what is the point?
28) Why does Derbyshire not support SIDS (speed indicator devices) even where parish councils are willing to fund them? This is proven to reduce speed and also provides important data to analyse and allocate resource police resources.
Why is the strategy focused on awareness rather than enforcement – clearly the former is not working?
Why not compare to other counties – we previously lived in Suffolk who have lower incidents and prioritise speeding with consistently lower speed limits in villages, typically 30mph regardless of other factors.
84) Will there be any speed cameras on Woodhouse Road and Main Street Horsley Woodhouse? There is a lot of cars and lorries going well above the speed limit plus going through on a red light. I have seen two elderly gentle men standing down on Woodhouse Road dressed in high viz jackets holding an old cine camera trying to slow the traffic down.
32) I would like to know why a speed detection camera cannot be installed on the A632 Station Road, Bolsover? There is a 30mph illuminated sign that has no effect on drivers at all. If that was replaced by a Speed Detection device on the same site, the fines imposed on speeding traffic would pay for the installation within one month. Unfortunately there has been one fatality in the last 12 months, where a car allegedly went airborn and landed on the top of another car. I see on a daily basis the reckless speeding, and illegal driving by road users. I have made several attempts to try and have a speed camera installed, but it always comes down to money. Last week in PMs questions, the PM agreed that money should be put in place to deter speeding traffic, if that is the case, then can we have some please?
There is at present a major house building initiative in Bolsover, creating around 1,000 new homes, unfortunately this will lead to a GRID LOCK in the town. Station Road is the main access road to Junction 29A on the M1, drivers being impatient by driving at us at speed, even driving the wrong way round the TRAFFIC ISLAND. We have had young men using this road as a RACE TRACK and have admitted trying to see who can reach the highest speed when driving UP THE HILL.
One man told me that he went past his friend at 100 mph, which he thought was great fun.
Some years ago the local Police Committee where local problems were discussed and if possible action taken wrote to the Chief Constable about Station Road, and asked for speed checks to be carried out. His reply was that the AVERAGE speed of traffic going UP THE HILL was +45 mph (30 limit). He didn’t have any information for down the hill, BECAUSE IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS FOR HIS OFFICERS to take them. That situation is now even worse that it was then. I was chased up the hill by a 40 ton HGV, it is very unnerving driving on this road.
14) I perceive that portable speed cameras care positioned where it is easy to catch people rather than where they are really needed.
101) When will the police actively monitor speeding or install a speed camera to deter deliberate speeding and extremely noisy and dangerous driving along St Chads Road (where there are 2 primary schools and 3 places of Worship) in Derby? (it is only a matter of time before someone is maimed or killed).
Chief Constables response to speed camera questions:
Speed cameras and the offences they detect are managed by the force’s CREST team (The PSM report section 3.28 provides further detail on the structure of the team). Derbyshire County Council help maintain the static cameras, including the electricity supply and street furniture (i.e., poles and road signs). The Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership (DDRSP) also plays an important role as outlined in section 1.33 of the PSM report.
The PSM report (section 3.29) provides details of all planned new speed camera schemes. Additionally, the Derby & Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership DRSP has received funding from Highways England (HE) for new road safety measures, such as road engineering and average speed cameras on three substantial risk roads in the north of Derbyshire.
Speed cameras, whilst they generate income for re-investment in road safety initiatives, are positioned in locations judged to present the greatest threat to road safety. Factors including statistics on collisions where a person has been Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI’s) on a stretch of road are taken into account. Additionally, site locations are selected based on other factors such as information received from local police Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Community Speed Watch (CSW) data. Camera locations are regularly reviewed and subject to rigorous checks to ensure that they are still suitable and provide safe working spaces for all mobile enforcing resources and all other road users and pedestrians. We would like to thank the public for highlighting a number of locations of concern and we will perform as assessment on each to decide what action is required.
We have several mobile project sites across Derbyshire that are enforced and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that we are providing the optimum service to the residents of Derbyshire to tackle road safety on our roads, to make Derbyshire a safer place.
Finally, in relation to speed Indicator devices (SIDs), they cannot be configured to capture vehicle data – static speed enforcement cameras are what would be our preference.
In relation to speed strategy, we tackle it a multitude of ways – Education to young drivers at School, Mini Police at School, inputs to other drivers at Insurance forums, encouragement – Using CSW schemes, warning letters, Enforcement – We do this each and every day within Derbyshire – deploying speed cameras vans, officers on foot and static site cameras. Our speed data is compared regionally and unfortunately due to the pandemic and quieter roads, some drivers have taken the opportunity to increase their speed. We have seen a rise in offences County wide as is the same regionally and are working to reduce this.
However, I understand Commissioner that you are working with Derbyshire County Council and some funding is being made available for these devices.
Drink and Drugs – (Topic is discussed at 2:18:45)
42) Are there any plans to reintroduce the evidential breath test devices removed from the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales. The High Peak is poorly served, as drink / drug drivers arrested in these areas have an hours drive before reaching an evidential machine (this is prior to the booking in procedure). Local officers face hours of travelling to deal with a single offender. The knock on effects are obvious, leaving the very few remaining officers without their colleagues. The promised uplift in Roads Policing officers has not materialised.
Chief Constables response to Drink and Drugs:
There are no current plans to reintroduce the evidential breath test devices into the High Peak or Derbyshire Dales at this time. We believe that our officers can in general reach a custody suite within an acceptable time following the arrest of a suspect for drink or drug driving. Our officers do have a number of options available to them when deciding which custody suite to go to. This includes Cheadle and Ashton under Lyne (following a collaboration agreement with GMP), Ripley, Derby and any other neighbouring force if there are exceptional reasons. Travelling times to custody can be longer from some parts of the force though many officers can reach their nearest suite in minutes, rarely over an hour as suggested by the author, unless there are particular difficulties.
The force has made a significant commitment to Roads Policing and Roads Safety unlike many other forces nationally. The number of posts across our Roads Policing Unit (RPU) were increased by a further eight officers around 3 years ago. The PSM report contains many, many examples of great work by this team who work tirelessly to improve the safety on our roads throughout Derbyshire.
Other Road Concerns – (Topic is discussed at 2:21:50)
8) Will you please make the Government and Councils aware of the dangers to motorists caused by the terrible state of the road surfaces on both local and trunk roads?
26) We live in a Small Village in South Derbyshire. It has an extremely busy Main Road going right through the middle of it. Our pedestrian crossing is very basic, so you virtually have to take your life in your own hands when crossing as many drivers do not stop when pedestrians cross over. Motorists are driving with undue care and attention by failing to stop at a crossing. We have asked for a push button control crossing, but to no avail. Is it going to take a fatality to get this serious issue resolved?
36) I have lived in Wingerworth for the last three and a half years and am worried about roads that are derestricted and often have walkers with no footpaths. Why are there not 50 limits to reduce traffic speeds on often quite narrow roads?
38) Are there are any plans to de-regulate ‘Smart’ motorways, ie, motorways with no hard shoulder. They’re clearly dangerous, a number of deaths have occurred when vehicles have broken down, purely because the driver had nowhere safe to pull up. I understand that the introduction of future ‘Smart’ motorways has been postponed, because they are so dangerous.
46) What can the police do to encourage the Highway Authorities to repaint worn-out white lines at road junctions? When they are worn, or missing, it can become dangerous especially in the dark or when it is raining
53) Why aren’t there more cycle lanes around Derby and Derbyshire? Especially along the A516. Opportunities to segregate traffic have also been missed in Mickleover. How do we go about turning Marston Lane (single track) into a ‘Green Lane’, where cyclists and pedestrians have priority, at the very least at weekends?
55) Need a pedestrian crossing on Manor Road, also to pull out of St Albans Road onto Manor Road is extremely dangerous as there is not a clear view and the cars speed past
68) There was a fatal RTC on Darley Bridge pre-pandemic. This bit of road – from the Square and Compass pub to Gold Close – is extremely dangerous with HGVs to and from Enthoven mounting the pavement on a regular basis. Pedestrians take their life in their hands walking on this stretch of road. What pressure can the police bring to bear on solving this problem for local residents and the scores of parents that use this road to get their children to South Darley Primary School?
70) Why can’t we have decent traffic calming measures in our towns and villages, as you find in most French towns and villages? Every day in my village of Baslow I see cars, vans and trucks speeding through because there are no traffic calming measures. And, why is it that Derbyshire Highways won’t even consider roads to be a problem until someone has died? It’s too late to act when someone has been killed, we need to close the door before the horse bolts.
71) When will there be effective double white lines in a bigger area than at present outside the Coop in Baslow. Current white lines do not deter car drivers and even lorry drivers from stopping/parking on the main road to briefly to enter the coop. This makes the area dangerous for other drivers and also pedestrians. It is near a really tight bend and also where there are cars coming out of private drives and pulling off (backwards) from parking spaces outside the church. It is also close to the bridge going over the river to Bubnell. With traffic having to drive in the middle of the road to pass these selfish drivers it is extremely dangerous.
76) Many single track rural roads don’t have footpaths but they are at the national speed limit. As a result pedestrians cyclists and motorist’s are sharing the carriageway. Vehicles are traveling at up to 60mph. This causes a problem for pedestrians and cyclists as there is not always a verge fore them to climb onto. A solution to this problem is to designate these roads as quiet lanes with a 20 mph speed limit where there is a more major road within “striking distance”. This would minimise the effect on journey times and mileage for motorists but enhance safety for other road users. Tractors are not always safely driven on rural roads.
It is not infrequent to see two people in a cab designed for one person. To see drivers on their phones or using “walkie talkies.” Which is not illegal but takes the drivers attention off the road.
Large modern tractor’s often occupy all of the carriageway on rural lanes. They may be towing large trailers weighing many tones. These features should cause the driver to be slow and cautious, but this is not always the case. This places other road users at risk as the tractor’s can not move to the side of the carriageway because they are already occupying its full width, and can’t slow down quickly. Other road users are left with no where to go.
Children should not be sitting on adult’s knees in tractor cabs or whilst they drive quad bikes on the road.
Dogs should be under the control of their owner, and on a lead in public spaces at all times. This includes roads, footpaths, parks and fields, where the public have access.
They should be clearing up after them on all occasions. Children should not be responsible for walking dogs if they cannot do this.
Farm livestock should not be grazing land that has been contaminated by dogs this can cause death in sheep and abortions in cattle. footpaths across farm fields give a right of access not a right to put farmers livelihoods at risk.
77) A significant part of road safety is the condition of the road surface. We are all encouraged to cycle but many roads around Buxton have deep, sharp edged potholes. Very likely to cause an accident and wheel damage if you hit one and equally dangerous if you swerve to avoid them. Why is this not a priority?
81) Why is there a cycle path that is poorly marked running against the traffic on a one way street namely Babbington Lane. For cyclists this is the most dangerous street in derby. I have been hit twice here and numerous near miss’s in the last 4 months. The road that joins babbington lane is a gradual feed in head in into the cyclists at a point where motorists are looking for car coming down the Lane and not cyclists coming up it. Many cycle lanes are poorly marked but this is one that should, at the very least, be marked better or ideally have a physical separation.
47) We run Speedwatch on Old Hackney Lane. This is a narrow, winding, old lane with very narrow footpaths on only one side or the other and sometimes none at all. There is a school at one end but no ‘School’ sign. There is one 30mph sign at one end but not the other. We consistently log 200 vehicles in an hour and consistently log 10-20 vehicles breaking the 30mph speed limit. All our efforts to get a meeting with Highways, to discuss signage, are met with ‘no we can’t do that’. What do we do? Beyond, as one officer put it, ‘wait for someone to die’. Buggies and wheelchairs are unable to use the Lane. Kids use it to go up to school and it’s very scary watching them. Parents now drive their kids to school as it’s so dangerous. All we want are signs!
Chief Constables response to Other Road Concerns:
We would like to thank all members of the public for submitting these questions. They all address concerns about the condition or design of some of the roads across the county. As you may know, the police are not responsible for road maintenance and design, that role rests with the local council Highway Authorities.
If you are concerned about the condition of any stretch of road, there is a simple to use online form on the Derbyshire County Council web site where any member of the public can report a road defect or suggestion for an improvement e.g., improvements to or erecting of road crossing facilities, poorly painted road lines or suggestions about footpaths, cycle lanes or speed limit alterations.
Police officers do look to inform decisions about where road improvements may be required as officers will regularly report road defects which we deem as dangerous including potholes on main trunk roads or problems with standing water on carriageways. Urgent police referrals to the appropriate authority are usually dealt with quickly.
The addition of footpaths on de-restricted rural roads has to be considered along with the effects of the further narrowing of the roads, the number of pedestrians using the road and the destruction of the biodiversity of the countryside. If the roads are narrowed too far then vehicles would mount the pedestrian areas and larger vehicles, i.e., agricultural vehicles, may well impinge on the pedestrian areas causing danger and damage.
The issue of SMART motorways (question 38) has become a national issue, and these are under the remit of National Highways (formally Highways England). All existing SMART motorways are being upgraded with further refuge bays and automatic vehicle monitoring whilst further research is completed into their safety prior to any more being built.
It is concerning to note question 68 in which the author raises a number of road safety issues. We will link in with our local police Safer Neighbourhood Team about this as this matter would benefit from police attendance and monitoring.
Agricultural vehicles such as Tractors (question 76) are subject in the main to the same laws on road use as other vehicles, there are very few exceptions to this. Although the author of this question has stated that the use of “walkie talkies” is not illegal, it is and after the law changed regarding the use of mobile phones on March 25th, 2022, there are even more regulations surrounding this. Should any tractor be found committing a Road Traffic Offence then they would be dealt with in the same way as any other motorists. We would encourage the use of our Operation Capture scheme should any member of the public capture these offences so we can investigate them further.
END OF QUESTIONS
Additional Contacts
Speed Reporting
If you have a concern about speeding in your local area, please contact your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team – Contact your local policing team | Derbyshire Constabulary
E-Scooters
If you have a problem with E-Scooters in your area, contact your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team – Contact your local policing team | Derbyshire Constabulary
Speed Cameras
If you have concerns about speed cameras in your local area, please contact the following organisations:
Highways – Help centre – Highways England (nationalhighways.co.uk)
Derbyshire County Council – Contact us – Derbyshire County Council
Derby City Council – Contact us – Derby City Council
Speed Limits
If you think that a speed limit reduction is needed in your local area, please contact your local council highways department Derbyshire County Council – Contact us – Derbyshire County Council
Derby City Council – Contact us – Derby City Council
Parking
If you have a concern about dangerous or inappropriate parking, please contact your local council –
Derbyshire County Council – Contact us – Derbyshire County Council
Derby City Council – Contact us – Derby City Council
Excessive Noise
If you have a concern about excess noise, please contact your local council Derbyshire County Council – Contact us – Derbyshire County Council
Derby City Council – Contact us – Derby City Council
Road Surface problems
If there is a pothole or other problem with the road surface, please contact your local council – Derbyshire County Council – Contact us – Derbyshire County Council
Derby City Council – Contact us – Derby City Council
Untaxed Vehicles
If you have a concern about an untaxed vehicle, please contact the DVLA – Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)