The true cost of speeding

Cheshire Police and the Fire service have been spotted over the past twelve months in Mobberley and other locations, extracting drivers from their vehicles on the grounds of excessive speeding. PCSO Andy Dolan spoke with us about their recent operation in Little Bollington that saw over twenty drivers stopped in just under 2 hours for exceeding the stated speed limit.

Karen Barratt representing Knutsford’s Heath Insurance informed us that in most cases premiums go up by £20 to £30. They informed the Knutsford Times that a number of insurance companies sometimes overlook a first offence if there is a proven track record of safe driving. Other factors are taken into account, age, vehicle, etc. However, repeat offenders do not get off so lightly, premiums could attract an increase of many hundreds of pounds for policy renewals, highlighting the real cost of speeding

All speeding drivers are now offered a choice, a speeding ticket with a compulsory fine or to sit and watch a particularly unpleasant video, on the cause and effect of speeding, which most drivers remark on as being an uncomfortable viewing experience. The importance of sticking with the speed limit is further compounded by a team of children that directly question the need for speeding from the offending drivers.

Questions like “How would you feel if you had killed me?” had drivers instantly silenced when broadcast by such small voices. PCSO Dolan told us that, on occasion, drivers have been overcome with emotion and wept at the very real possibility that their speeding could kill a child.  All of these measures are seen to raise the profile of speed impact days and ensure that roads are safer.

This new way of tackling speed crime has come from the advice of the Home Office and road safety campaigners.  Educating drivers over road traffic offences rather than hitting the motorists with obvious ticketing and fines is proving to be a success. Although a long-term strategy, it provides results for all road users in lowering the risk of accidents from those more likely to cause them.

The children at the school were also witness to a live arrest involving a drink driver who had been caught in the speed trap; this is seen as a beneficial act in demonstrating to the younger audience that with crime comes punishment.

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