In the past six months the force has caught 273 speeding motorists. But they say that much of their information on speeding comes from people who see and hear it – and so they need witnesses to contact them directly via an online platform.
The police appeal follows a report in the JEP last Tuesday about fears of an increase in the number of motorists endangering themselves and other road users.
Almost 400 people posted responses to the report on the JEP’s Facebook page, with many saying they had heard cars racing in the early hours and during the day.
Simon Harman and his wife, who moved to St Martin in November, said: ‘Since having lived in the parish we have been very concerned about the standard of driving and excess speed of a minority of vehicles.
‘It is a 30mph zone but I estimate they are going at around 60 or 70. These are by no means isolated incidents – they tend to occur most evenings.’
Jenni Panter said St Peter’s Valley from St Mary to Bel Royal had always been a ‘race track’, but added: ‘It is much worse of late. You take your life in your hands if you are walking between Tesson Chapel and Blanche Pierre.’
Colin Faed said he had noticed cars heading from St Martin’s Church through Maufant at speeds of around 60 mph and added: ‘This happened a lot here in March and April. Now it’s started again. Sooner or later someone will get hurt or killed by them.’
Shona Johnson, of St John’s Road, said: ‘I’ve nearly been hit by speeding cars on multiple occasions just trying to leave my apartment block.’ And Jon Roberts commented: ‘St Clement’s Coast Road every Saturday night may as well be Silverstone.’
Chief Inspector Chris Beechey said that the locations of speed checks were often chosen following tip-offs and the receipt of data.
‘We target our speed checks based largely on information received from the public and from a range of technology-based sensors and accident statistics that help us understand where speeding occurs.’
Witnesses should go to jersey.police.uk and click on the link to ‘Report bad driving/riding’. The police received more than 80 reports online between September and November.
Chief Insp Beechey added: ‘These reports help to inform our proactive work and we encourage the public to continue to provide this information to us.’
He added: ‘All forms of roads policing remain a priority for States of Jersey Police.’
