Today was the first day back at school for elementary students where I live. The school is on an arterial road with a posted speed of 60 km/h that is often ignored by many drivers. I stood with speed watch volunteers for an hour from 10:00 to 11:00 am and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.
The Purpose of Speed Watch
Speed Watch is a program sponsored by ICBC that is run by local community safety volunteers. They set up temporary speed reader boards in locations such as school zones and problem areas identified by the local police. The aim is to remind passing drivers of the need to follow posted speed limits in the hope that they will choose to do so and remember the next time they are in that zone.
A Pleasant Surprise
This deployment had started at 8:00 am and by the time I arrived about 900 vehicles had passed by. Very few drivers had failed to slow from 60 km/h. Most chose a speed between 30 and 40 km/h and a few were under 30.
The surprise for me was the number of people passing by that waved and a few even thanked the volunteers.
Two people stopped and asked about becoming volunteers themselves.
The Speed Watch Nudge
The gentle nudge that the speed reader board and volunteers with a clipboard gave to passing drivers was obvious. Some drivers did not slow for the school zone sign but did realize the need once they saw their speed being displayed.
That nudge is a reminder that helps form the basis for a change in driving behaviour now that school is back in session. This can be more effective than a speeding ticket from the police.
The Bottom Line
Speed Watch groups in B.C. don’t issue tickets, but they do make drivers more conscious of their speed, provide valuable data, and support long-term changes in driving behaviour and safety.
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