Lincolnshire Police have launched its speed enforcement campaign alongside the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

With the gradual relaxing of lockdown restrictions police forces throughout the UK will be reminding motorists of the importance of travelling within the speed limit.  This is deliberately timed as travel restrictions start to ease, to keep people safe as the volume of traffic increases.

We want to remind motorists of the devastating impact speeding can have, not only increasing the risk of a collision but the severity of the impact at higher speeds.  We know the vast majority of our road users are safe and drive within speed limits and we are grateful to everyone who supports our campaigns and our work to reduce the amount of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

Figures show that on average 17 people are killed and 126 are seriously injured every month in the UK, where speeding is believed to have been a significant factor.

At 30 mph, vehicles are travelling about 3 car lengths each second (about 44 feet/13.4 metres).  Even in good conditions, the difference in stopping distance between 30 mph and 35 mph is more than 2 car lengths (an extra 21 feet or 6.4 metres)

This may make all the difference in avoiding a collision.  The distance required to stop safely, significantly increases at higher speeds.

We have seen a 50% reduction in traffic on our roads in Lincolnshire.  We are now seeing an increase to post COVID-19 levels.

We know motorcyclists and pedal cyclists will want to go for a ride out. Last year 20% of all fatalities sadly involved riders.  One of the main contributory factors is drivers pulling out in front of them.

We know the roads are different, drivers and riders may not have been on the roads for weeks and they may need to concentrate more.  We’re asking all road users to expect the unexpected.  Road users must anticipate situations and read the road and traffic around them.  Drive to the conditions and speed limits and be prepared to adjust your speed within the normal stopping distances.  Make the effort to be more observant, look and look again.

During this campaign we have more police officers using marked and unmarked cars and bikes focussing on drivers who are speeding on our roads.  Our officers will be conducting speed enforcement checks in your communities. The Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership continues to focus on enforcing speed limits using both mobile and fixed safety cameras.

Only members from the same household can share a vehicle unless it’s for work purposes.  If you share a vehicle with someone at work keep the windows open and improve ventilation, face away from each other and arrange seating to keep as much distance between you.

We are asking riders and drivers to follow the Government guidelines and to observe social distancing at all times.  Avoid congregating in car parks where social distancing cannot be maintained.  We want you to stay safe and stay alert whether on the roads or not.

Superintendent Paul Timmins, Head of Specialist Operations, Lincolnshire Police, said: “We want to keep all road users safe and reduce the number of people who are tragically killed on Lincolnshire’s roads every year.

“We deal with this throughout the year, but with the roads still more quiet than usual, the temptation and opportunity to speed is increased.

“Throughout this campaign we will be out on the roads, near where you live, using both marked and unmarked cars and bikes to tackle irresponsible and dangerous drivers committing speeding offences.

“However this isn’t purely about enforcement. We also want to educate drivers of the risks, both to themselves and to other road users associated with inappropriate speed and encourage drivers to drive at speeds safe for the road environment and to obey speed limits at all times. We also want to support other road users, in particular pedal cyclists, horse riders, pedestrians and new drivers, to keep safe on the roads.”

Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, Roads Policing Lead for NPCC, said: “With the gradual move out of lockdown and with traffic volumes starting to increase, this national operation is an important way of highlighting the dangers of speeding, particularly when so many people have not been out on the roads for quite some time.

“Unsurprisingly, the lockdown saw very quiet roads.  Many forces reported increased speeding in a general sense and some forces reported instances of very excessive speeding.  It is also of particular note that we have seen an increase in pedal cyclists at this time, many of whom may be unfamiliar with busier roads. Pedestrians and runners have also got used to empty roads.

“Put this together with better weather, lighter evenings, motorcyclists itching to ride out across our country roads and you have the concerning combination of factors for a significant increase in people being killed or seriously injured.  I am determined for this not to be the case.”

You can follow the campaign by using the hashtag #SlowDownSaveLives