Sir, I write with reference to letters and concerns reported in The Westmorland Gazette over recent months regarding vehicle speeds and safety in Aynam Road, Kendal The Casualty Reduction and Safer Highways (CRASH) working group of South Cumbria Area noted the concerns and requested I undertake a speed monitoring exercise to ascertain if there was a problem with vehicles speeding where extra enforcement would have an effect or if it was a purely perception of speed problem.

I monitored the traffic over a six-day period at the beginning of August. The number of vehicles monitored was 58,495, the average speed was 27mph and the 85th percentile speed, which is a measure that the Department of Transport, County Highways Engineers and the police use to determine if speed limits are working properly, was 31mph. These results show that the speed of traffic is consistent with the speed limit, and does not meet the required criteria for extra enforcement action.

For locations to receive extra attention in the way of speed enforcement by the police above normal patrols the locations must meet a certain criteria. This is set out in the Southern Area speed complaints protocol. This criteria takes into account the number of vehicles exceeding the limit and the number of collisions that occur. This way we can target resources where the problems are greatest and where these resources will have the greatest effect I have reviewed the recent collision record for the road and found that the collisions in the main are either vehicles losing control on the bend before Aynam Place or shunts at the pedestrian crossing points. Both these areas have been treated by the county council with high friction surfaces.

This road being a primary route through the town does receive a high level of attention by patrolling officers who are aware of the issues with young drivers using the road.

Roger Mallett Traffic Management Officer South Cumbria Area Cumbria Constabulary