A community programme is helping to cut speeds across the county. Speed indicator Devices or SIDs reduce overall speed where they’ve been deployed.
Dorset County Council officers are working with parish and town councils to ensure that the criteria for installing the equipment is met. There are currently 22 schemes operating across Dorset, with eight more planned this year.
The latest village to join the programme is Martinstown.
Debbie Wiltshire, Martinstown Community SID co-ordinator, said: “Rob and Joe helped us to survey our potential SID sites in late 2017. They were very helpful and explained the process to ensure we had the best effect on speeding traffic, for our community, whilst adhering to DCC’s guidelines.
“We started to deploy our SID in February this year and it has provided a very effective visual reminder to drivers who are exceeding the speed limit. We received comprehensive training and guidelines to help us manage the deployments ourselves, safely.”
When operated for an approved deployment period, results show that vehicle speeds drop when driving past a SID, resulting in a lower 85th percentile (the speed of which 85% of traffic is at or lower).
Cllr Daryl Turner, Dorset County Council Cabinet member for the natural and built environment, said: “The SIDs work by reminding people of the speed limit and drivers adjust their speed appropriately. It’s often a lapse in concentration that means speed limits are exceeded so this prompt is all it takes to bring speeds down.”
Existing SIDs can be modified to become solar powered. This helps reduce the number of times batteries are changed and it ensures the SID is never on the highway not activating.
If your community is interested in using SIDs email the team for more information.
