ROAD safety on a Preston estate will receive a boost when interactive signs are introduced to help reinforce the 20mph limit.

The Larches was one of the pilot areas for the 20mph limits which are now being brought in for all residential areas and outside schools by Lancashire County Council.

Residents are due to install a speed indicator device (SpID) to encourage drivers to keep to the safer speed limit introduced a year ago.

A SpID is a portable temporary sign that detects and records the speed of an approaching vehicle, displaying a smile or a frown depending on whether the driver is above or below the speed limit.

County Councillor Mark Jewell, who represents the area, said: “The Larches estate has a strong community spirit and there are a number of people who are keen to make sure the 20mph limit is effective in making their streets safer.

“The local Police and Communities Together group has acquired a speed indicator device and local volunteers are being trained to move it between a number of locations throughout the estate.”

Studies show that rates of death and injury are less for pedestrians hit by a vehicle at 20mph rather than 30mph. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents estimates that a pedestrian has a 90% chance of surviving being hit by a car at 20mph, falling to 50% chance at 30mph and to 10% at 40mph.

The smiley sign is one of a number of ways the Larches community is looking to encourage drivers to keep to the new limit – children from Lea Community Primary School are also producing a banner to display on the gates to promote the ’20’s plenty’ message to passing traffic.

County Councillor Jewell added: “We’re keen to make the Larches a safer place, particularly for the benefit of parents who want their children to be able to play out, visit friends or get to school safely.

“Most traffic on the estate is created by people who actually live here and if we can start encouraging them to make this small change to their behaviour I think we’ll all see the benefit.

“The SpIDs and the work from the community will help to reinforce that in residential areas the speed limit in Lancashire is 20mph.”

The new signs have been bought by the PACT (Police and Communities Together) group with funds from the Lancashire County Council Healthy Streets fund.

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