Vision Zero partnership work together to keep pupils safe during Vulnerable Road Users Week

Three speeding drivers were captured on camera in Castle Point, as partners worked together to keep Ashingdon pupils safe during Vulnerable Road Users Week.

This week, volunteer officers from the Southend Local Policing Team held a Vision Zero operation outside Ashingdon Primary Academy, focussing on speeding motorists, in an effort to keep pupils safe.

Leading the collaboration between police, council enforcement officers, school crossing patrol officers and representatives from the Safer Essex Roads Partnership, Special Inspector Samantha Wright, explained on the day:

As Essex Police and partners, our priority today has been to keep the roads safe for everyone, make sure that motorists adhere to the speed limits and that we act when anyone breaks the law or puts pupils’ safety at risk.
Pupils who walk or use bikes and scooters to get to school can be vulnerable due to speeding motorists along Fambridge Road.
We want to highlight those dangers to drivers and educate them to slow down, adhere to the Highway Code and take responsibility for any poor driving decisions they may make.

The Vision Zero day took place on the first day of national Vulnerable Road Users Week (Monday 18 September), a campaign focussing on the safety of the riders of two-wheel vehicles, pedestrians – both the elderly and the young - and horse riders.

Special Inspector Wright added:

During this morning’s school run, we used a speed gun to detect three speeding motorists, one with a top speed of 44mph, within the first 30 minutes, something that Vision Zero and Vulnerable Road User Week aims to tackle. This level of speed is not acceptable and won’t be tolerated.

New District Commander, Paul Hogben, visited the partners, saying:

I want to thank everyone who took part in Vision Zero today, showing our communities how we are dedicated to tackling road safety issues in Castle Point and Rochford.
The school crossing patrol staff do a fantastic job every day to keep the Ashingdon Primary Academy pupils safe when arriving and leaving school, just as their colleagues do across the district.
But we want drivers to make good driving decisions and adhere to the speed limits, especially when in the vicinity of schools: driving at 44 mph is too fast to ensure that there won’t be a collision.
There are more risks associated with a bigger footfall when a motorist is speeding, which has the potential to lead to a serious collision.
Through Vision Zero, our partnership work will continue to make sure our district’s roads are safe for everyone.

Help us reduce road collisions and casualties in Essex and make our roads even safer. Report instances of poor and dangerous driving through Safer Essex Roads Partnership's Extra Eyes initiative.

More than ever, irresponsible, dangerous and illegal road behaviour is being recorded by road users. Through Extra Eyes this footage can be sent to, and reviewed by, an investigator within Road Policing at Essex Police.

Find out how by visiting Safer Essex Roads Partnership website.