Latest news with #SimonBarrasford
Wales Online
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Wales Online
Money from 20mph fines 'should be used to fix potholes'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info North Wales Live readers have been actively expressing their opinions following a recent discussion by the North Wales Police and Crime Panel on the default 20mph speed limit. The chairwoman of the police panel has urged councillors to petition their local authorities for the installation of additional fixed speeding cameras to apprehend those flouting the 20mph limit. During their June meeting at Conwy's Coed Pella headquarters, the North Wales Police and Crime Panel learnt about instances where drivers were clocked at speeds of 51mph, 61mph, and even 83mph in areas with a 20mph restriction. Supt Simon Barrasford delivered a briefing on road policing to the panel, providing updates on speeding incidents since the implementation of the 20mph standard speed limit in Wales. The panel was informed of the difficulties police encounter in enforcing the new limit, particularly with many motorists and holidaymakers entering from England, where the traditional 30mph limit remains. However, the revelation that all "top five fixed camera locations" are situated in Flintshire led Supt Barrasford to advise that councillors could request additional cameras for their districts, potentially supported by funding from the Welsh Government. One reader, Newiboy suggests: "All the money from the fines should be put to filling potholes it the the Welsh government's fault that it is no longer safe to drive at 30mph due to failing to provide local authorities with the cash to repair roads." AlbertKelly adds: "Yet again there are numerous comments about this being a 'money making scheme' but yet again ignoring the fact that you have complete choice as whether or not you break the law. Abide by the law and you won't pay a penny - the vast majority of the population are quite capable of doing this." Forestdragon believes: "The councils are in no hurry to reinstate 30 on the through-routes, though, are they? How long do we have to wait for that? Several of the most productive roads named are likely to be reversed, for example the A5104 Pontybodkin to Coed Talon, and the A5119 Flint, Northop Road. Surely it's unethical to continue to enforce 20 on these roads simply because they are dragging their feet with the restoration?" Notspendingmymoneyonwaleseveragain writes: "After a 5 hour (60 mile) journey to have a long weekend in a place I used to love (North Wales). I got a £100 fine and 3 points and I have no idea where the 30 in a 20 zone happened (exactly 30 mph!), don't remember seeing a sign. I'm no loss to Wales really, but I CBA risking more points just to spend my cash there!" Poshscouser says: "I find this 20 mph to be quite nonsensical and dangerous insofar as personally being tailgated by imbeciles who refuse to accept the 20 mph limit." Indigodebz comments: "As a huge majority don't keep to 20mph and it's impossible to draw any conclusions. We will also not know if drivers change their route and have an accident on another faster road. Certainly my cycling route on country lanes at the back of the village is busier with cars and I am more in fear of being hit by a driver than ever." Angleseygirl writes: "Well if this article doesn't just prove what we've all been saying! The 20 mph is purely for catching drivers as a money making machine and nothing to do with safety!" Morpick agrees: "Was supposed to be about Road safety or so the story goes. In reality it is just a money making scam." Jimmyj adds: "Hope the councils and go slow I mean sorry Go safe don't spend to much as after Labour removed next year at the Senedd elections. This 20mph nonsense will be overturned by Reform." Confusing says: "Everybody now needs a car with cruise control hit 20 press the button. Then they won't be able to take the money off you, although they're probably come up with another way." Steamnut thinks: "So there is money for cameras but not repairing potholes? Shows where the priorities are. Also, they are playing with the numbers. One year of numbers were used to show serious injuries down by 19.4% and slight injuries down by 43.9%. And, at the same time they discounted 'fatalities had increased on these roads by 200%'. You cannot pick and chose just to win the argument. Once we have five years of figures we will be able to see the clear trends. A more important figure is the number of disqualified and uninsured drivers on our roads that are repeat offenders and which rarely go to jail." Do you believe that the 20mph speed limit is working or not? Comment below or HERE to join in the conversation.
North Wales Live
03-07-2025
- North Wales Live
Money from 20mph fines 'should be used to fix potholes'
North Wales Live readers have been actively expressing their opinions following a recent discussion by the North Wales Police and Crime Panel on the default 20mph speed limit. The chairwoman of the police panel has urged councillors to petition their local authorities for the installation of additional fixed speeding cameras to apprehend those flouting the 20mph limit. During their June meeting at Conwy's Coed Pella headquarters, the North Wales Police and Crime Panel learnt about instances where drivers were clocked at speeds of 51mph, 61mph, and even 83mph in areas with a 20mph restriction. Supt Simon Barrasford delivered a briefing on road policing to the panel, providing updates on speeding incidents since the implementation of the 20mph standard speed limit in Wales. The panel was informed of the difficulties police encounter in enforcing the new limit, particularly with many motorists and holidaymakers entering from England, where the traditional 30mph limit remains. However, the revelation that all "top five fixed camera locations" are situated in Flintshire led Supt Barrasford to advise that councillors could request additional cameras for their districts, potentially supported by funding from the Welsh Government. One reader, Newiboy suggests: "All the money from the fines should be put to filling potholes it the the Welsh government's fault that it is no longer safe to drive at 30mph due to failing to provide local authorities with the cash to repair roads." AlbertKelly adds: "Yet again there are numerous comments about this being a 'money making scheme' but yet again ignoring the fact that you have complete choice as whether or not you break the law. Abide by the law and you won't pay a penny - the vast majority of the population are quite capable of doing this." Forestdragon believes: "The councils are in no hurry to reinstate 30 on the through-routes, though, are they? How long do we have to wait for that? Several of the most productive roads named are likely to be reversed, for example the A5104 Pontybodkin to Coed Talon, and the A5119 Flint, Northop Road. Surely it's unethical to continue to enforce 20 on these roads simply because they are dragging their feet with the restoration?" Notspendingmymoneyonwaleseveragain writes: "After a 5 hour (60 mile) journey to have a long weekend in a place I used to love (North Wales). I got a £100 fine and 3 points and I have no idea where the 30 in a 20 zone happened (exactly 30 mph!), don't remember seeing a sign. I'm no loss to Wales really, but I CBA risking more points just to spend my cash there!" Poshscouser says: "I find this 20 mph to be quite nonsensical and dangerous insofar as personally being tailgated by imbeciles who refuse to accept the 20 mph limit." Indigodebz comments: "As a huge majority don't keep to 20mph and it's impossible to draw any conclusions. We will also not know if drivers change their route and have an accident on another faster road. Certainly my cycling route on country lanes at the back of the village is busier with cars and I am more in fear of being hit by a driver than ever." Angleseygirl writes: "Well if this article doesn't just prove what we've all been saying! The 20 mph is purely for catching drivers as a money making machine and nothing to do with safety!" Morpick agrees: "Was supposed to be about Road safety or so the story goes. In reality it is just a money making scam." Jimmyj adds: "Hope the councils and go slow I mean sorry Go safe don't spend to much as after Labour removed next year at the Senedd elections. This 20mph nonsense will be overturned by Reform." Confusing says: "Everybody now needs a car with cruise control hit 20 press the button. Then they won't be able to take the money off you, although they're probably come up with another way." Steamnut thinks: "So there is money for cameras but not repairing potholes? Shows where the priorities are. Also, they are playing with the numbers. One year of numbers were used to show serious injuries down by 19.4% and slight injuries down by 43.9%. And, at the same time they discounted 'fatalities had increased on these roads by 200%'. You cannot pick and chose just to win the argument. Once we have five years of figures we will be able to see the clear trends. A more important figure is the number of disqualified and uninsured drivers on our roads that are repeat offenders and which rarely go to jail."
BBC News
02-07-2025
- BBC News
More 20mph speed cameras should be requested, police panel told
Councillors have been urged to request more fixed speeding cameras to crack down on drivers exceeding the 20mph (32km/h) North Wales Police and Crime Panel heard of drivers caught going up to 83mph (133kph) in 20mph zones, with the "top five" fixed-camera locations in north Wales all in force faces challenges enforcing the limit due to drivers and holidaymakers crossing the border where the 30mph default limit still applies, the panel was panel chairwoman Patricia Astbury called for councillors to request more cameras, North Wales Police Supt Simon Barrasford told the meeting the devices could be funded by the Welsh government. In a presentation on road policing, Supt Barrasford briefed the panel on speeding figures since the 20mph default speed limit was introduced in Wales in September 2023."Any local authority can liaise with Welsh government for funding and put static cameras in," he the meeting, Ms Astbury called on some councillors to ask their authorities for more speed cameras."Maybe some of the elected members need to go away and think about having some fixed cameras… I'm certainly going to ask elected members for one on my road," she said. The panel heard all of the top five fixed-camera locations in north Wales were in Flintshire: at the A5104 in Pontybodkin, the A548 in Oakenholt, the B5129 in Pentre, the A5119 on Northop Road, Sychdyn, and the A550 on Gladstone Barrasford also briefed the panel on the Welsh government-funded Operation Ugain, a campaign to offer drivers exceeding the 20mph speed limit safety advice rather than penalty revealed 126,640 vehicles had passed a Ugain team, 2,840 of which were stopped due to exceeding the 20mph speed limit, and 2,826 had engaged with the advice.A total of 14 drivers were given a traffic offence report or a court summons. Supt Barrasford said the highest speed recorded at a fixed-camera site was 83mph at Mynydd Isa, with the driver receiving a six-month disqualification, substantial fines and highest speed within a 20mph zone recorded by a speed camera van was on Russell Road, Rhyl, in Denbighshire where a vehicle was travelling 51mph (82kph) "at 11am in the morning on a very busy road", he community speed-watch camera caught a driver going 61mph (98kph) in a 20mph zone. The top five non-fixed speed-camera locations in north Wales were Glan y Mor Road to Marine Drive in Penrhyn Bay in Conwy, the A525 Trefnant in Denbighshire, the A548 Russell Road in Rhyl, Denbighshire, the A494 in Bala, Gwynedd, and the A5025 in Amlwch Road, Benllech, Wales Police said the introduction of the 20mph default speed limit had resulted in a notable downwards trend of Barrasford said a 12-month comparison between before and after the legislation change saw serious injuries down by 19.4% and slight injuries drop by 43.9%. Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said collisions happened for reasons other than speed, including the age of drivers involved and defective also noted that some tourists and visitors from England did not adhere to the speed limit. This article was written by a trusted journalist and then edited for length and style with the help of AI, before being checked again by a BBC Journalist. It's part of a pilot.
