Thames Valley Police has launched a new motorcycle speed camera team aimed at tackling speeding and improving road safety across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
The force said specially equipped police motorcycles would allow officers to carry out speed enforcement in locations that are difficult for traditional camera vans to access, including outside schools, in rural communities and on roads with limited space.
The initiative forms part of Thames Valley Police’s efforts to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the region’s roads.
The motorcycles will be fitted with handheld laser and video speed detection equipment, enabling trained officers to identify speeding motorists and issue Notices of Intended Prosecution where appropriate.
Police said the new team would support enforcement against the so-called “Fatal Five” offences, which are considered the leading causes of serious road collisions: speeding, drink and drug driving, failing to wear a seatbelt, using a mobile phone while driving, and careless or dangerous driving.
The force said the motorcycles would enable officers to respond more quickly to areas identified through collision data, community reports and local policing priorities.
Neighbourhood policing teams will also be able to request deployments where residents have raised concerns about speeding.
Superintendent Euan Livingstone, head of Thames Valley Police’s Roads Policing Unit, said speeding remained one of the biggest issues raised by communities.
“We are listening to communities across the Thames Valley, and the clear and consistent concern we hear is about speeding,” he said.
“This capability enables us to focus on what matters most to the public, showing that we are not only listening, but taking meaningful action.
“It’s about making our roads safer for everyone who uses them every day, whether travelling to work or taking children to school, and ensuring we can take action against those who choose to put others at risk.”
The new enforcement capability has been funded through the Thames Valley Police Road Safety Fund, with oversight from the force and the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber said the motorcycle team would strengthen the force’s ability to tackle dangerous driving.
“The team will be able to reach areas where traditional safety camera vans can’t, boosting enforcement capability and the force’s ability to crack down on dangerous and illegal behaviours on our roads, including the Fatal Five,” he said.
