Warwickshire Police has taken delivery of three new enforcement vans, fitted out with the latest mobile camera technology that will be deployed at over 70 sites across the county.

The force says that, as well as using the vans’ visible presence to slow down traffic and educate road users on appropriate legal speeds, the vans will be strategically positioned on the county’s high harm routes using data from Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership with the aim of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads.

It says vans are fitted with state-of-the-art technology including:

• high specification cameras that provide clearer mobile enforcement images and better facial identification of the driver
• the ability to capture other offences such as not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile phone whilst driving, driver not in a position to have proper control of a vehicle and vehicles in a dangerous condition.
• ANPR fitted to the front and rear of the vans to assist with intelligence gathering, and to also capture rear registration plates on vehicles without a front plate such as motorbikes.
• Night time capability through infrared lighting allows the vans to be deployed throughout the day and night
• The new vans are also equipped with blue lights meaning they can be used for road safety and ANPR operations.

Two new Camera Enforcement Officers have also joined Warwickshire Road Safety Unit (WRSU) to coincide with their arrival boosting the number of people trained to use the vans.

The new vans complement Warwickshire Police’s existing fixed, mobile and average safety cameras capable of detecting excess speed offences and red light violations, speed enforcement activity by patrol officers, SNTs and our Community Speed Watch volunteers.

Assistant Chief Constable Ben Smith said “The three new speed vans are part of a £600k investment announced in March last year to enhance road safety on Warwickshire’s roads.

“We recognise that speeding is often a key factor in collisions and that’s why over the last year we have significantly improved our effectiveness in tackling speeding drivers by ensuring we have the latest technology and processes to drive behaviour change, deliver impactful road safety campaigns and improve our service to members of the public.

“These improvements ensure Warwickshire Police is fit for the future and deliver on our enduring vision to protect people from harm.”

Inspector Dave Valente said “We are proud of our growing reputation of being tough on speeding drivers in Warwickshire. This reflects the proactive, preventative approach we are taking alongside Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership to reducing speeding, as we know the harm and devastation that collisions cause to families.

“Many drivers caught speeding are not from Warwickshire, as we have several main arterial routes through the county, used by thousands of drivers from across the UK every day.

“Fines and points still play a part but educating those drivers who speed is vital, as our priority is to change behaviour to make our roads safer and all those eligible will be offered a speed awareness course. 

“Whilst there are plenty of good drivers on our roads, clearly some still drive too fast for the roads and conditions and extreme or repeat speeders may find themselves going straight to court where the consequences are more significant.

“If you do not want to be caught speeding in Warwickshire, do not exceed the speed limit.  It’s as simple as that.”

Police and Crime Commissioner and Chair of Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership Philip Seccombe said: “I am pleased to see this significant investment in road safety come to fruition as it moves us closer to our ambitious target of halving the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads by 2030.

“If we are to reduce the number of people killed and injured on our roads we need to look at all aspects of road safety to make our roads safer.  WRSP is working with partners to look at road design and management, setting appropriate speed limits, and encouraging and advocating for vehicle-based speed limiting.

“We are also raising awareness through education and communications that we need all drivers to take responsibility for themselves and others’ safety by always staying within the speed limit and at an appropriate speed for the conditions. If everyone can do this, our roads will become much safer immediately.”

In addition to the new speed vans, Warwickshire Police says it has made a number of other improvements to increase the effectiveness of the Road Safety Unit (WRSU) in tackling speeding drivers, increasing the size of the department with 35 additional people.

(Picture – Warwickshire Police)