Bilsby Speed Camera Frequency

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Dear Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership,

I would like to know why the Speed Camera Unit is frequently in the same bungalow drive in Bilsby, I believe three times already this year but not once have I seen it on the A52 in Huttoft which is a far more dangerous road and with a far higher volume of traffic?

Yours faithfully,

Roy Perry
A very concerned Huttoft resident.

Ian Swallow, Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership

Mr Perry,
Our mobile speed camera vans are allocated parking locations that have been identified as having a casualty reduction requirement. The parking locations are surveyed yearly to ensure we are using the latest data and then every 6 months we hold a review of all our locations available so that we attend those most in need of our services. We are very much data led in the way we program in locations and enforcement.

The reason why you have not seen a mobile speed camera van at Huttoft is because we do not have a parking location at or nearby. I have looked at the data we have in respect of injury collisions and compared the two locations. Bilsby has had 3 such collisions in the last 3 years and Huttoft has not had any. I have also compared the traffic survey data we hold for both locations. Bilsby has a daily flow of 5346 vehicles and the A52 at Huttoft a daily flow of 3098 vehicles.

I appreciate that this will come as a bit of a surprise to you but from that information I believe that it is difficult to describe the A52 at Huttoft as a far more dangerous road.

Kind regards
Ian

Mr. Ian Swallow
Enforcement Delivery Manager
Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership
Witham House
Canwick Road
Lincoln
LN5 8HE
Tel (01522) 805813
Find us on Twitter - @LincsRSP

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Dear Ian Swallow,
Thank you for your prompt reply and yes I am very surprised that the daily flow of traffic is greater than it is through Huttoft. I do however still believe that the speed of traffic along the A52 is far higher than it is on the B1442 through Bilsby making it a far more dangerous road. Since I have lived in Huttoft there has been one fatality on the main road. I have not heard of any in Bilsby village even though there have been minor collisions.
You have stated in your reply that there is no parking location in Huttoft. Is this the main reason that traffic speed is not being monitored, if so, this has greatly increased my concern about safety along the A52 through the village.

The entrance/exit to the new car park at Huttoft primary school now leads directly on to the A52 and alongside the car park is a public footpath also leading on to the main road from the school. At the end of this footpath is a very flimsy broken metal barrier that, in my opinion, is not fit for purpose.

At Sutton on Sea primary school, again alongside the A52, is an advisory speed limit of 20mph. Will this be implemented at Huttoft or will we wait until there is an accident here and then act, but then what is the point of any speed limit if it is not being monitored and enforced?

Yours sincerely,

Roy Perry

Ian Swallow, Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership

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Mr Perry,
I appreciate your perception as to the speed of traffic in Huttoft compared to Bilsby but our data does show the speeds as being different to your perception.

I will answer your points as you have raised them :

''. I do however still believe that the speed of traffic along the A52 is far higher than it is on the B1442 through Bilsby making it a far more dangerous road''

I should first mention that the speed camera van that you have seen parks on the A1111. The speed data and the injury collision data on that road showed that the injury collisions were being caused by excess speed, hence our enforcement. The B1449 speed data shows that the average speed is 32.8 mph with 249 vehicles per day exceeding 40 mph and 20 vehicles per day exceeding 50 mph. There have not been any injury collisions on that road in the last 3 years hence why we do not enforce that road even though the speed readings are higher than on the A1111.

The speed data for the A52 at Huttoft shows the speeds are lower and the amount of vehicles exceeding the speed limit is also lower than at the B1449. The average speed is 29.6 mph with 108 vehicles exceeding 40 mph and 2 vehicles exceeding 50 mph.

'' You have stated in your reply that there is no parking location in Huttoft. Is this the main reason that traffic speed is not being monitored, if so, this has greatly increased my concern about safety along the A52 through the village.''

My apologies I should have explained myself better than I did. We are not able to enforce at Huttoft with the mobile speed camera van as the data we hold does not meet with the criteria of the Department of Transport. The speed cameras are used as casualty reduction tool and by complying with DFT we ensure that will continue. The speeds are monitored as we hold traffic surveys as and when the parish council or police request, or if we note a cluster of injury collisions at a specific location.

'' The entrance/exit to the new car park at Huttoft primary school now leads directly on to the A52 and alongside the car park is a public footpath also leading on to the main road from the school. At the end of this footpath is a very flimsy broken metal barrier that, in my opinion, is not fit for purpose.
At Sutton on Sea primary school, again alongside the A52, is an advisory speed limit of 20mph. Will this be implemented at Huttoft or will we wait until there is an accident here and then act, but then what is the point of any speed limit if it is not being monitored and enforced?''

Both of the above falls under the remit of the local highways officer and not LRSP and so to assist I have copied them into this e-mail for their information.

I also would like to make you aware that Huttoft parish council have registered an interest in the community speed watch program and in particular the newest element that allows for ' enforcement'
Please see the attached document. As such I am sure that they would like to attract as many volunteers as possible.

I wish to reassure you that the CSW scheme is not about abdicating our responsibility; it is about providing a service in direct response to a clear and frequently requested desire by local communities to get involved and feel that they are contributing to making their communities safer. In addition to everything we already do we are committing extra resources and staff to oversee this new scheme. This scheme allows trained volunteers to address speed concerns in their communities.
This is achieved by:
• Undertaking high-visibility roadside operations using hand held speed radar devices to educate speeding drivers, with a view to improving driver behaviour.
• Reporting to the Police the details of speeding vehicles in specific areas where speed is of concern. These speed monitoring reports enable the police to;
• Send advisory letters to the registered owners to confirm to them the speed at which their vehicle was travelling and that the speed was in excess of the speed limit.
• Visit repeat offenders personally.
• Using the data gathered to inform Police and others on the allocation of resources and general road safety issues.

Kind regards
Ian

Mr.Ian Swallow
Enforcement Delivery Manager
Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership
Witham House
Canwick Road
Lincoln
LN5 8HE
Tel (01522) 805813
Find us on Twitter -  @LincsRSP

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Dear Ian Swallow,
Thank you once again for your prompt and informative reply in answer to my concerns about the speed of traffic through Huttoft. The information has been both surprising and enlightening and although it has not appeased my concerns it has given me encouragement that the matter of the car park and footpath have been forwarded to the local highways officer and that Huttoft parish council have registered an interest the CSW scheme.

Yours sincerely,

Roy Perry