Hoyland Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) worked with children from Jump Primary School, Roebuck Hill, to tackle speeding with the help of ‘Smiley SID’.

Members of the school council made up of two pupils from each year were worried about the issue of speeding in the area and the dangers it posed for them and their peers. They highlighted their concerns to PCSO Dean Hamer who attends their school once a week.

On Tuesday 18 May, PCSO Hamer arranged for the children to voluntarily take part in the road safety operation where a speed indication device (SID) was placed outside of the school on Roebuck Hill.

When motorists passed the site, SID displayed either a smiley face indicating the driver was within the 30 mph limit or a sad face meaning they were over it. Anyone caught over the limit was stopped by police and drivers were spoken to by the children who explained how they wanted their school roads to safe and free from dangerous driving. As well as catching offenders, the operation was to deter potential speeders whilst teaching children the dangers of speeding.

Approximately 100 vehicles passed through the site and 22 were found to be over the speed limit.

PC Hamer said: “One woman stopped got very upset after being spoken to by the children. She said she has children herself and was ashamed of herself.

“Unbelievably, another speeding driver stopped was even the father of one of the children involved in the operation.”

“Some people need to realise that speeding is wrong full stop, particularly around schools where the lives of such vulnerable and innocent people are at risk.”