Road safety
Please remember: "Drive Safe. Walk Safe. Cycle Safe."
Road safety advice
The Safer Roads website has advice for everyone including drivers, parents, cyclists and pedestrians.
Road safety visits
Our road safety officer visits schools and nurseries across the borough and delivers exciting and interactive talks and assemblies to children at all stages of their education. Many of the schools have police officers assigned to them, but more and more we are finding that they are calling on our road safety officer to deliver the road safety message to pupils. On some occasions the police will also be present and will have an input into the presentations. The road safety team is proud to have supplied thousands of Key Stage 1 and nursery children with hi visibility jackets and other reflective items in the past 2 years.
Schools wishing to be visited by the road safety officer should contact the road safety team on 01753 787541 or email transportdevelopment@slough.gov.uk.
Similarly, if any of Slough’s many businesses feel their staff would benefit from a road safety talk or presentation, they should contact the road safety team.
The road safety team also instigate a number of campaigns throughout the year to raise awareness with matters such as drink and drug driving, seatbelts, child car seats, cyclists, new drivers, speeding and the use of mobile phones whilst driving. Some of the campaigns and images used can be found in our:
We are also responsible for the recruitment and day to day management of our school crossing patrols or “lollipop” people. If you would like further information about this service please phone the above number.
Speed limits
We often get enquiries about the speed limits around the borough. Our advice is as follows: When you are driving, if you are unsure what the speed limit is, assume it is a thirty mile per hour limit. A new speed limit is marked by two large speed limit signs on both sides of the road. Once you pass through these signs, a road with a 30mph limit will have no further signs to tell you the limit is 30mph. On roads with a higher, or lower, limit there will be repeater signs on the lamp posts. So, remember, if there are no signs assume the limit is 30mph.
Slough has 10 Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) across the borough fixed to street lights. They warn and remind drivers of the speed limit by flashing the prescribed limit if an approaching driver exceeds it.
Traffic calming
If you are concerned about speeding issues where you live, you can contact us on 01753 787541 or email transportdevelopment@slough.gov.uk. We will look into the matter and if we find there is a speeding problem we'll look at ways to reduce it.
If we decide engineering works are required to solve the speeding problem, these will be implemented, subject to consultation with affected residents and the availability of funds.
Acronyms
As a road safety team we are often asked what certain acronyms mean in respect of road safety. Some of the more common ones we use are as follows:
- RTA – Road Traffic Accident
- RTC – Road Traffic Collision. Traditionally road safety officers tend to use the word “collision” as opposed to “accident”.
- KSI – This is often used in collision data reports and refers to Killed or Seriously Injured victims of collisions. If the injuries are not serious they are referred to as "slights". If there are no injuries they are referred to as "damage only collisions".
- SDSA – Safe Drive Stay Alive. These are annual events held for young people of 6th form age across the Thames Valley. They are multi agency events including the Police, Fire and Ambulance services including the local authority road safety officers. More about these events can be found within the pages of our guide by going to the above link.