Herrick residents taking note
• Herrick residents are recording vehicles they deem to be travelling too fast in a bid to slow drivers down and adhere to the 50km zone.
By Taylor Clyne
May 06, 2020
Gladstone Road users passing through the sleepy township of Herrick have been issued a stern warning from local residents who are concerned about drivers not adhering to the 50km zone.
Resident Jennice Evans took to the ‘Herrick and Pioneer Tasmania Community Group’ Facebook page on Monday to showcase video recordings of drivers allegedly travelling over the limit.
“If you keep speeding through Herrick you will be recorded, and all recordings are being handed to police for speed calculation and you will be fined,” Ms Evans said.
Adding, that contact would be made with the companies and businesses of truck drivers who residents deem to be speeding.
Ms Evans said she believes she has recorded more than twenty high speed videos within the first two days of her crusade.
“We just want drivers to respect our community,” she said.
“There are a number of concerned people within our community who have been taking recordings and timetabling drivers speeding; trucks have been the focal point because they are a lot louder, but we’ve also recorded many normal vehicles too.”
Ms Evans said residents were not looking to put drivers out of a job they just wanted to see change.
“I have suggested a speed camera or maybe speed bumps to help drivers stick to the 50km zone, it’s about safety.”
Local truck driver Robbie Berne said he was quite shocked to be informed a video of him driving through Herrick was loaded on Facebook.
“I can’t speak for all truck drivers, but I know many of us carry GPS tracking systems that we can look back and prove we were adhering to the limits,” he said.
“It would be hard to tell from a video how quick a truck is actually going compared to how quick it looks.
“I know drivers make a conscious effort not to run engine breaks through the town, we are often travelling through from 3am and onwards.
“Maybe there is a better way than videoing us and posting on Facebook as there is the potential of business slander when in fact they may be doing the right thing,” he said.
Sergeant Andrew Hanson said officers often field complaints regarding heavy vehicles in and around the North-East.
“The most common complaint is around a perception they are speeding.
“I've previously published my general support of truck drivers.
“They provide an essential service for us all, and in my time here I have observed very few speeding offences in the area,” he said.
“However, like anything, there always seems to be a small few who can spoil it for the majority who are doing the right thing.
“In response to complaints of this nature, we certainly increase patrols in the area. But we can't be everywhere at once.”
Sergeant Hanson said though unlikely, police can still enforce offences even if they don’t see them directly.
“We would need evidence to support a speeding charge, before we would consider issuing a ticket or completing a brief for court.
“A simple example would be a video of a speeding vehicle between two distinct reference points.
“Then is it down to a simple equation of working out the speed based on the distance travelled and time taken.”
“But we also need to account for the chain of evidence, so if anyone chooses to do this they have to understand that they will be required to provide a sworn statutory declaration, and may be required to attend court to account for the video and the chain of custody into police possession,” he said.
“There are other avenues to voice concerns.”
Ms Evans said she had also lodged a service request with the Dorset Council to consider speed humps and general help with the matter.