POLICE in Hampshire are warning drivers they are cracking down on speeding next week, as part of a European-wide initiative.

The Joint Roads Policing Unit, which forms part of the Joint Operations Unit (JOU), is taking part in the latest Tispol – European Traffic Police Network – speed enforcement campaign, which starts off on Monday, August 21 and will run for a week.

The aim of the campaign is to enforce speed limits for all vehicles and draw greater public attention to the consequences of excessive or inappropriate speed.

If a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle travelling at 40mph, then they only have a survival chance of 10 per cent, whereas if there are hit 30mph, then they have an 80 per cent chance of survival.

Exceeding the speed limit or travelling too fast for the conditions have been shown to be factors in 20 per cent of all fatal casualties, 12 per cent of all serious casualties and 10 per cent of the total casualties across the JOU region.

Road Safety Sergeant Rob Heard said: “A few miles an hour over the speed limit or travelling at inappropriate speed can have catastrophic upon road users and their families, many of whom also suffer lasting and profound consequences from collisions where a loved one has been killed or seriously injured.

“Excessive speed will reduce the time you have to react to a hazard and further the distance it takes for you to stop.

“People need to realise it’s a speed limit and not a target so it may be more appropriate to travel at a lower speed depending on the road conditions for their own safety.

“We are committed to increasing road safety and will continue to target those who fail to abide by the speed limits.

Hampshire Constabulary is particularly targetting drivers of vans and lorries in the upcoming campaign.

Sgt Heard added: “The majority of commercial vehicle drivers do drive considerately and legitimately on our highways, however we are catching far too many van drivers who are not aware of such speed restrictions.

“To help drivers we have created the two images for goods vehicles of different sizes to help them remember their limits.”