Information on Loughborough

Road sign trial in county villages

Posted on 30/06/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Highways, Transportation & Waste Management

29 June 2009

Road sign trial in county villages

Mobile Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) are to be trialled in different parts of the county.

This is part of a new initiative which, if approved, will allow communities to buy and put up the signs where there is local concern about speeding.

Like the many fixed VAS sites across the county the mobile signs will remind motorists to drive at appropriate speeds, but by being smaller and mobile their use is not tied to one location.

Lesley Pendleton, The County Council’s cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “County funding for schemes to reduce vehicle speeds is prioritised towards communities experiencing the worst problems; as a result many requests either fall below the criteria for further investigation or have to wait several years before monies become available for a scheme.

“If the trial is successful, these new signs would be affordable to many parish councils and, like Community Speed Watch, this initiative would provide another way that communities can get involved in addressing issues that are of local concern. Several parishes have already shown a keen interest in buying their own signs”

The trial is to be reported at this week’s Harborough Highway Forum with Scraptoft and Thurnby Parish due to take part.

To keep up to date with Leicestershire’s road network, visit www.leics.gov.uk/roadsandtransport

Notes to editors:

Four parishes will take part in the initial trials which are programmed for this summer:

•Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves

•Scrapcroft and Thurnby

•Snarestone

•Somerby.

Different makes of sign will be tried; if the trial is successful, one VAS type would be chosen to keep costs down and ensure consistency of approach across the county.

A vehicle activated sign (VAS) flashes a warning if a car approaches at inappropriate speed. Fixed VAS are situated at over 100 sites across Leicestershire and the average speed reduction across all sites is 12.4 per cent.

Community Speed Watch is a pioneering scheme which enables volunteers to work within the community to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and to help manage the problem locally.

Volunteers are trained to use hand-held radar and laser guns, and other equipment to record the speed of passing vehicles.

Being recorded by one of the devices does not lead to prosecution – drivers receive a warning letter from the police instead – and the scheme helps towards underlining the community’s commitment to getting drivers to behave responsibly towards others and reducing their speed.