A Green Party councillor has demanded urgent action on speed limit enforcement after three major crashes on a busy road in Oxford.
Emily Kerr, who represents St Mary’s ward, called for stricter policing of 20mph zones following the latest incident which destroyed a bus stop near James Street recently.
The crash came just four days after a car overturned on the same road after reportedly hitting a tree, with other incidents prompting local residents to speak out about the issue.
The councillor insists that fixed speed cameras and proper enforcement of 20mph limits are “desperately” needed on the busy Oxford street.
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Many roads around Oxfordshire have 20mph speed limits
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Kerr emphasised that councils currently lack the power to enforce speeding violations, which must be handled by police.
She said: “Yet again we see a huge smash on Iffley Road in my ward caused by dangerous and reckless driving – it’s the third this year!
“We know from TVP’s (Thames Valley Police) own survey that speeding and reckless driving is the number one crime experienced by residents of Oxfordshire,” Oxford Mail reported.
The Green councillor called on Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber to “listen to what residents want and invest in 20mph speed cameras.”
She also urged local MP Anneliese Dodds to lobby her party for legislative changes that would allow councils to enforce speeding restrictions to help “protect our vulnerable residents”.
A Freedom of Information request found that Thames Valley Police was among the worst forces in the country for enforcing 20mph speed limits.
The data, obtained by campaign group 20s Plenty For Us, showed TVP issued zero fines for 20mph violations throughout 2022.
In comparison, London’s Metropolitan Police issued 233,000 notices of intended prosecution for 20mph breaches during the same period, while Avon and Somerset Police handed out 20,000 such notices.
In January, a major crash saw a Vauxhall SUV mount the pavement and overturn on Iffley Road, causing extensive damage to two shop fronts.
Oxfordshire has been one of the most proactive councils for 20mph speed limits, benefitting from a staggering £8million to deliver 20mph speed limits.
The rollout of slower speed limits works alongside its “Vision Zero” campaign which aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from road traffic accidents across the county by 2050.
Interim targets are already in place to reduce casualties by 25 per cent by 2026 and by 50 per cent by the end of the decade.
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The councillor highlighted the difference between fines handed out in Oxford and London for 20mph infringements
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Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “The adoption of a Vision Zero approach for Oxfordshire signals a clear ambition and commits the council to taking a new approach. But we can’t achieve this alone.
“It will require close working with partners and stakeholders to look at infrastructure, behaviour, technology and legislation to achieve this change.”