Speed Awareness in Towcester
This page provides Towcester residents with information on speeding around Towcester through two local Police and Council initiatives:
1. Vehicle Activated Signs
2. Community Speed Watch
Vehicle Activated Signs
The sign is low-maintenance and easily transportable between locations. However, it requires a team of volunteers to ensure its upkeep on a rotating basis. Team members are responsible for changing the batteries, transporting the sign between locations and downloading the data.
The stats are then shared with the Town Council and the Police to identify areas for improvement and volunteers may if they wish, be more involved with the distribution of data, liaison with the local PCSO team and attending VAS meetings.
Springfields between 8th December 2023 and 29th January 2024
Of a total 36,453 vehicles which passed the VAS:
11,593 registered at 31-35 mph
1,117 registered at 36-40 mph
117 registered at 41-45 mph
26 registered at 46-50 mph
6 registered > 50 mph
Highfields between 19th January and 23rd February 2024
Of a total 16,737 vehicles which passed the VAS:
9,581 registered at 31-35 mph
600 registered at 36-40 mph
38 registered at 40-45 mph
4 registered at 46-50 mph
2 registered at > 50 mph
Community Speed Watch
The Towcester Community Speed Watch volunteers once again supported the Northampton Police Safer Roads Team 2025 initiative.
Over 15 one-hour sessions, 36 vehicles were identified as exceeding the posted speed limit in various locations in and around Towcester and 25 were issued with a letter by the Safer Roads Teams.
Community Speed Watch is an initiative, working with the police, which sees fully trained local residents using speed detection devices to monitor vehicles travelling through their towns and villages on roads with limits of 20, 30 and 40mph.
The Safer Roads Operations Manager at Northamptonshire Police has stated that:
"Speeding, along with drink/drug driving, seatbelt and mobile phone use, makes up the fatal four offences, which are often recorded as a contributory factor in road collisions in the county. Motorists who speed through residential neighbourhoods are often unaware of the impact of their actions on other road users and pedestrians, or the dangers they pose. Speed checks show that drivers exceeding the speed limit are often local to the town, village or surrounding area."
Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) Located around Towcester record an average of 3,879 vehicles exceeding the national speed limits per week. Traffic Survey Reports showed the percentage for vehicles exceeding the national speed limits on average fall from 13% to 9% after the campaign.
"The Community Speed Watch programme is a great way for the local community to support the countywide effort to make our roads safer and is a more effective and efficient way of delivering road safety. They do a fantastic job not only providing invaluable data but also helping to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and educating drivers on the importance of sticking to the speed limit."
Anybody interested in learning more about Towcester VAS or becoming a Speed Watch volunteer please contact facilities@towcester-tc.gov.uk
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