A community speedwatch group in Halnaker has raised concerns about speeding traffic through the village after inviting local MP Andrew Griffith to join them on patrol.
Halnaker’s Community Speedwatch Group asked the Arundel and South Downs MP to visit the village, near Goodwood, to see the issues residents face on the A285.
The road through Halnaker is subject to a 30 miles per hour speed limit, but local data suggests many drivers are exceeding it. A 24-hour data recorder in the village indicates that only 30 percent of vehicles travel within the limit.
Figures also show that, every day, an average of 170 to 200 vehicles travel through the village at speeds of more than 45 miles per hour.
The Halnaker Traffic Calming Group was formed after concerns that speeding traffic was making some residents feel isolated. Narrow pavements and the close proximity of fast-moving vehicles have created safety worries for pedestrians, while horse riders using nearby liveries and cyclists are also considered to be at greater risk.
The village’s Community Speedwatch Group was formed in 2017 as part of efforts to slow traffic. Volunteers say their visible presence is often enough to make many drivers comply with the speed limit, but too many still fail to pay attention.
Other measures introduced in the village include Speed Indicator Devices, repainting white lines and coloured high-friction road surfaces.
During the patrol, Andrew Griffith wore a high-vis jacket and joined volunteers at the roadside. A number of drivers exceeded the limit during the short session, with those travelling at 36 miles per hour or more set to receive warning letters.
Andrew Griffith said:
“There is no need to speed inside West Sussex’s villages, and roads like the A285 have some of the highest accident rates. I commend the voluntary efforts of Halnaker’s Community Speedwatch team, and I know this is one site which could be considered for speed sensitive cameras as another measure in the fight for safer roads.”
Andrew Griffith is the Conservative MP for Arundel and South Downs, covering areas including Midhurst, Petworth, Pulborough, Henfield, Steyning, Storrington, Barnham and Arundel.
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