Police tackle speeding around Scarborough as figures reveal car was caught at 66mph in 30mph zone last year

Traffic officers, safety camera officers and volunteers from community speed watch groups have all been working to cover communities, rural roads and main routes across the county, including in and around Scarborough.

The action is part of Operation Vis, a campaign to make North Yorkshire’s roads safer.

While traffic cops do still deal with speeding on our roads, the vast majority of that work is now done by safety camera vans, manned by safety camera officers.

Mark, who was manning a small van on Scalby Road and other locations around town this week, explained that the vans are able to detect much more than just speeding.

Safety camera officers control a camera which records the speed on vehicles as they pass, but they also look out for other offences such as drivers using mobile phones, not wearing a seatbelt and committing white line offences.

Smaller vans tend to be stationed in residential areas while the larger vehicles are positioned on KSI (killed and seriously injured) routes.

He said: “The strangest thing I’ve seen through the camera is someone eating a bowl of cereal whilst driving.”

The footage captured by safety camera vans can also be used by police investigating other crimes, if they know a crime was committed near where a van was present.

Safety camera officers can also communicate with both local police and traffic officers to alert them to anything they spot through the cameras, for instance dangerous driving.

Last year in Scarboruogh and Ryedale, the fastest speed recorded by a safety camera van in a 30pmh zone was a car in Snainton moving at 66mph.

Mark said: “If you hit a child at that kind of speed, the chances of them surviving are slim.

“I’ve got a little lad, I want people slowing down and people’s kids to be safe.”

Volunteers from Community Speed Watch groups also deployed, supported by marked police units.

Motorists will be able to find out where Community Speed Watch groups are operating during the campaign by following @NYTrafficBureau on Twitter or North Yorkshire Police Traffic Bureau on Facebook.

The highest speeds recorded by safety camera vehicles in Scarborough and Ryedale in 2019 were:

- a car travelling at 66mph in a 30mph limit on the A170 in Snainton village

- a motorcycle travelling at 97mph in a 50mph limit on the A165 at Osgodby

- a car travelling at 107mph in a 60mph limit on the A170 at Scawron Moor

- a car travelling at 130mph in a 60mph limit on the A169 at High Horcum

- a motorbike travelling at 122mph in a 70mph limit on the A64 at Whitwell Hill

- a car travelling at 125pm in a 70mph limit on the A64 near Malton