Bath MP calls on Government to tackle speeding this Road Safety Week

24 November 2023

During Business Questions on the 23rd of November, Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, marked Road Safety Week by calling for the Government to take road safety more seriously.

In her question to the Leader of the House, Mrs Hobhouse praised the superb efforts of Community Speedwatch (CSW), a local group of volunteers in Bath who work with the Avon and Somerset Police to improve road safety. The CSW groups across Bath have captured around 8,000 vehicles speeding just this year. The Bath MP reminded Penny Mordaunt that speeding contributes to almost a third of all traffic fatalities, emphasising the importance of raising awareness about road safety.

Mrs Hobhouse recently met with volunteers from CSW and heard about the thousands of hours their members across the region dedicate each year, in all weather conditions, to preventing speeding. The charity Brake offers a National Road Victim Service which supports those bereaved or seriously injured in road accidents. Last year, they saw a 30% increase in referrals for support.

Recognising the clear need to increase road safety awareness, the MP asked the Leader of the House to mark Road Safety Week by holding a debate in government time to improve road safety. In response, Penny Mordaunt recognised that speeding was a critical issue as one of the biggest global killers. She noted that Wera Hobhouse’s contribution was an “excellent topic for a debate”.

Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, commented:

“We all know that speeding kills. And yet this year, thousands of speeding vehicles have been captured by Bath volunteer groups alone. We must take this matter much more seriously to prevent avoidable deaths.”

See Also

Hansard: Exchange between Wera Hobhouse and the Leader of the House.