by Dr John Nathan

“Detillens lane Speedwatch has been running for about ten years.

Believe it or not, there are 16,000 traffic movements per week along Detillens lane, approximately half in each direction. A small proportion of drivers think that they are Lewis Hamilton, and this is Silverstone racing circuit. I worked in the Accident and Emergency department of a big District Hospital years ago, and you only have to attend an A&E department after a speed related road accident to see the effects of speeding. We set up the Speedwatch scheme here to protect our residents from accidents and road noise.

It is all done in cooperation with Surrey Police. New recruits are trained by the Police (nowadays on line) and every week, at different days and times, a team of three stands out in Detillens lane taking traffic speeds and other details with a speed gun supplied by the Police. Those vehicles caught speeding are then reported to the Police who write them a letter. Speeders cannot be prosecuted but our statistics show that very few are caught more than once, so it is effective. It has been shown to reduce speeding from 75% to 42%.

I am extremely grateful to the dedicated team of twelve who do this year round, always with a cheerful smile and a joke. We are always keen to recruit new volunteers, so if you want to join us please contact me. There is another team in Bluehouse lane, but I would like to see other teams in Limpsfield, sending a loud message to tearaways not to speed in our village.

Yours,

Dr John Nathan. MB. BS. Coordinator.

13^th April 2025.”