IN response to a recent letter by A Reid we would like to clarify that the new police layby on the A540 on Chester High Road has not been built as a result of Mrs Fielding's legacy, nor has it been funded by Cheshire Police.

One of the main priorities for Cheshire Police is to improve road safety and reduce the number of fatal and serious collisions.

As part of this strategy we launched the "Fatal 5 campaign" in May 2019, in conjunction with Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service (CFRS) and the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).

The major factors that have shown to be significant in many collisions are addressed by the five strands of this campaign;

  • Careless driving
  • Driving whilst impaired through drink or drugs
  • Driving whilst distracted by mobile phones or other technology
  • Failing to wear a seatbelt
  • Speeding.

As well as working to educate and inform road users about the dangers, enforcement activity remains a necessary priority for those who choose to blatantly disregard the law - which includes speed enforcement.

In order to facilitate the safe and effective deployment of speed enforcement there are several locations across the county where measures have been put in place, such as signage and road markings – this work has been funded by Highways departments.

Offenders caught speeding will either be required to attend court, receive a fine plus points or be given the option of a course that is aimed at educating to improve future driving.

The majority of money from fines or course fees goes directly into the administration of these processes or to the running of courses. Any excess which Cheshire Police receives is directed back into Roads Policing.

While Cheshire Police works closely with Highways to continually review road safety on the A540 and all other roads, it is the Highways departments that have responsibility for maintenance and changes to the roads.

Sergeant Kevin Green, Neston Community Sergeant.