Dorset Police news site

Dedicated Community Speed Watch (CSW) volunteers checked the speeds of over 31,000 vehicles during a week of action and continue to help to keep the roads of Dorset safe.

Last year, 267 people were killed or seriously injured in a road traffic collision in Dorset. The Force is committed to ensuring the safety of road users and making sure that people are driving within the law.

Community Speed Watch (CSW) is a national road safety initiative, which is fully supported by Dorset Police and allows residents to play a part in making the roads safer.

The scheme is community driven, made up of dedicated volunteers who all have a shared goal of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured in a road traffic collision.

The volunteers use a basic speed detection device to monitor a vehicle’s speed – they are not able to take pictures as the device is not a camera.

If a vehicle is identified as travelling over the speed limit, the volunteers will make a note of the vehicle details and a warning letter will be issued by police to the registered keeper.

Across the county, there are around 1,300 CSW volunteers who give up their time to provide a visible speed deterrent in a particular area.

Between Sunday 6 April and Friday 11 April 2025, 31,677 vehicles were monitored across the county, resulting in almost 700 advisory letters being issued.

56 CSW teams operated in various locations covering all parts of Dorset.

In Lilliput Road in Poole, the team identified someone travelling at 64mph in a 30mph zone.

Superintendent Rob Chalkley, of Dorset Police, said: “We know that the vast majority of people drive within the speed limits, but there are some who choose to ignore the law and put others in danger from their actions.

“While we know that speeding does not always cause a road traffic collision, we know that the consequences of any collision is likely to be more significant if the speeds involved are higher.

“One road traffic collision is too many – a speeding driver could ultimately cause tragic consequences and take the life of a friend or family member.

“The work of our CSW volunteers is a testament for how we tackle speeding in Dorset – we want to change the attitudes of road users and make them think twice about breaking the speed limit.

“On one occasion, a motorist was identified as travelling at a staggering speed over double the speed limit, which could have had very serious consequences if they were to be involved in a collision.”

Community Speed Watch Coordinator Maria Attwood said: “The CSW volunteers are at the heart of local areas – they want to help their communities and it’s why they do what they do.

“We do not tolerate any abuse that is directed toward any of our volunteers, they are all part of the road safe family and are vital in helping us stop motorists from speeding.

“If our volunteers can help prevent just one road traffic collision, then that is one less person potentially injured on the roads of Dorset.”

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick added: “I was pleased to meet some of our hard-working Community Speed Watch volunteers as park of the week of action. Dorset’s dedicated CSW teams do a marvellous job as part of our roads policing model and are vital in assisting Dorset Police to tackle dangerous driving and educate road users.

“Thanks to the vital part CSW teams play as part of the wider roads policing operation, the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads is falling each year.

“The results from last week’s operations should send a strong message to anyone thinking of speeding or behaving recklessly on our roads that it will not be tolerated. Lastly, I want to urge road users to respect these volunteers who are working diligently to bring down speeds and make our roads safer; abuse against them will be reported to Dorset Police and action will be taken.”