New Vehicle Activated Speed (VAS) Sign Installed in Raunds

Thanks to the valuable feedback we receive from residents, Raunds Town Council recognises that speeding remains a significant safety concern amongst our community, and we are fully committed to supporting initiatives that encourage motorists to choose speeds that are both legal and safe.

This week, the Town Council was pleased to complete the installation of a new mobile Vehicle Activated Speed (VAS) sign on London Road, which has been identified by data provided by Northamptonshire Police Safer Roads Team as a particular hotspot for excessive speeding. A London Road traffic survey conducted in 2022 found that during the course of one week, 62% of vehicles were travelling in excess of the 30mph limit, whilst 30% of vehicles were travelling in excess of 35mph, which is the threshold for Police enforcement action.

In addition to London Road, resident feedback and Police data has identified that Chelveston Road, Marshalls Road and Midland Road are also areas where speeding is particularly prevalent, and the mobile capabilities of the VAS sign mean that it can be easily redeployed to these locations at five weekly intervals in order to maintain its effectiveness.

The sign will present a green smiley face to motorists travelling within the 30mph speed limit, whilst reminding those exceeding the limit to slow down.

Ollie Curtis, Chairman of Raunds Town Council's Environment, Leisure and Recreation Committee, said:

"The Council has listened carefully to the understandable concerns raised by the Raunds community around the problem of excess speeding. We already participate actively in the successful SpeedWatch initiative which will be back on our streets in April, and the VAS sign is another valuable tool at our disposal to positively encourage improved driver behaviour and compliance with the speed limit. The Council is proud to play a leading role in championing schemes such as this which will help to make the road environment safer for our residents and reduce the risk of serious collisions".