A QUIET Wiltshire village is at the centre of growing road safety concerns after shocking new figures revealed a driver is caught speeding every three minutes.
Chitterne has become a hotspot for dangerous driving, with residents warning the situation is putting lives at risk – and now action is being stepped up.
Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson visited the village after enforcement data exposed the scale of the problem.
Mr Wilkinson was in Chitterne to engage with the community. (Picture: Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner)
Since the start of the year, seven speed enforcement sessions have been carried out, catching 98 drivers over the limit, including one travelling at 60mph in a 30mph zone.
Nearly one in five offenders now faces fines, penalty points or even court action.
The issue is particularly acute along the B390, where drivers are said to use the road as a shortcut to avoid congestion on the A303 and A36 – often ignoring speed limits as they pass through the village.
A community speed enforcement officer is monitoring the roads. (Picture: Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner)
General Sir Nick Parker, chair of the parish council, said: “Since moving here, I have become much more conscious of how important it is to respect the communities that you drive through when there’s a thirty mile an hour limit because of the difference that it makes for their lives.
“I think Chitterne has a reputation for being a village on a straight road that when you come down the hill, you have to make a conscious decision to go slowly.
“We have vulnerable people living here, and there are places in the village where it is dangerous to cross the road because there are points where the pavement disappears.
“We just hope that this (community speed enforcement) initiative causes people to show a little bit more consideration when they come through Chitterne.”
A postal worker described the village as being like “Brands Hatch”.
(Picture: Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner)
Local concerns have been echoed by officers on the ground.
Community speed enforcement officer Debbi Hide said: “Compared to any other village or town that I’ve been in, the main problem is the sheer speed. It isn’t just a little tiny bit over thirty.
“Drivers have come off a national speed limit and they don’t slow down at all.
“They also have to look at the conditions they’re driving in. They’re coming down a hill into a residential area where there are parked cars on one side of the road.
“Speed is a factor but it’s also the hazard perception side of things.
“Thirty means community. Thirty means there are going to be multiple hazards ahead. When you come into any thirty mile an hour zone anywhere, you should be ready for those hazards.”
Mr Wilkinson added: “It is clear to see this is having a profound effect on the lives of the residents in Chitterne, who have eloquently demonstrated to me their concerns, given the nature of the road layout in the village.
“Whilst the presence of the community speed enforcement officers provide reassurance for the residents, it’s important that we work together with the parish council and local authorities through the road safety partnership to come up with a more effective long-term solution to address these issues.”
First, there are many elderly people who cannot drive, young people who drive at high speeds, and delivery drivers with illegal apps who drive the same way.