Checks coming for speeding drivers in Haddington

Complaints were raised by residents earlier this year about the speed of vehicles travelling along West Road.

Residents had contacted ward councillor John McMillan about the issue, which is now being looked at by community police officer Lynn Black.

Now, PC Black plans to carry out speed checks on the street.

East Lothian Council could also play its part with the possibility of speed survey boxes also being used. This would enable both the police and the local authority to not only check if vehicles were speeding but to find out just how many were doing so and the average speed of vehicles on the street, which is home to The Compass School.

PC Black told a recent meeting of the town’s Community and Police Partnership (CAPP): “Wires get put down across the road and it gives us a better indication if there is an issue with speeding and traffic flow.” The officer added that using the wire to gauge vehicles’ speed could prove better than simply carrying out speed checks with pro-laser speed guns.

The speed checks had their benefits and reminded people the police were there but the wires would give a true reading of the vehicles’ speeds.

PC Black was yet to speak to Colin Baird, from East Lothian Council, but would be looking to make progress in the coming weeks.

It comes after similar checks were carried out on Haddington’s Hawthornbank Road.

That showed that 20 drivers, out of more than 600, were driving above the 30 miles per hour speed limit.

The officer said there were people committing offences but the problem was perhaps not as bad as first anticipated.

However, she added that anyone who thought a driver was committing an offence should get in touch.

Ward councillor Tom Trotter said cars parked on the street often acted as a method of slowing down vehicles.

He said there was often a perception of speeding problems but it was not “an epidemic by any means”.

He added: “Some cars sound faster than they actually are.”