Kent Speedwatch is a volunteer scheme to monitor and display the speed of passing traffic on selected roads.
A group of 3 people use a roadside speed indicator device or handheld speed camera to monitor and display the speed of approaching traffic. They note the details of those significantly in excess of the speed limit and pass those to the Police.
It acts as a good reminder to motorists to keep to the limit, and forms a base of data that Kent Police can see to understand if there is a lot of speeding in a certain road, and to target their resources at monitoring them. The Police cannot issue penalties on the basis of Speedwatch data alone, but can issue warnings.
Sandgate Parish Council has a part share in a Speed Indication Device, and our own handheld speed camera. We have been running Speedwatch sessions across Sandgate since early 2024, but to keep doing so we need new volunteers willing to join the team.
Training takes a couple of hours, and we’re running 2 or 3 Speedwatch sessions a week currently: if we had 20 volunteers, that’s under a session a month. A Sandgate Speedwatch session is generally between 30-60 minutes.
Sessions only happen during daylight hours, in Police approved locations, with trained volunteers. You’ll never be working alone.
Would you register to get involved in helping our area cut traffic speeds with Speedwatch?
If you are willing to become a Sandgate Speedwatch volunteer you can register online. Please go to:
https://www.communityspeedwatch.org/
..and select “register” on the top menu. On the next page, select “Join and Existing Group” on the left.
- On the next page, select “Kent” from the “Force” list, then “Continue”.
- Select “ZE Folkestone and Hythe” from the Police Area list, then “Continue”.
- Pick “Sandgate – Sandgate Speedwatch Group” from the Group list, then “Continue”.
- Finally, complete the form, make sure you tick the “term and conditions” box, then select “Register Me”.
You should get an email notification of some type, but then that’s done. When we have enough (5 or so) volunteers registered we’ll be in touch – we will get a Sandgate Kent Speedwatch training session organised and all volunteers invited.
Please – get involved: register today!