A driver who was clocked doing 54mph near a primary school is being dealt with by police.
The incident happened as children were being picked up outside Barton Primary School near Richmond.
Another driver was recorded at 48mph in the same area, which has a 30mph limit.
The roads were damp at the time, making stopping even more difficult.
The offences were captured by a safety camera van operator, who said: “There were young kids out with parents, school busses stopping to drop kids off and kids were crossing to use the park too.
“The weather was damp and overcast as it had been spitting with rain.”
The incidents were recorded during a routine safety camera van deployment to the village last week.
Andy Tooke, of North Yorkshire Police’s Traffic Bureau, said: “Now many children are back in school, there’s even more reason to stick to speed limits in community areas.
“I’d be horrified if a driver passed me at 54mph while I was picking my kids up from school, and I’d like to reassure parents and residents that this driver is being dealt with appropriately by police.”
He added: “It could’ve been catastrophic. The consequences of hitting a child at more than 50mph do not bear thinking about, but the child’s chance of survival would be virtually nil.
“That’s why we regularly deploy our safety cameras to 30mph residential areas such as towns and villages, as well as busier roads.
“Unfortunately, incidents like this demonstrate why we need to enforce speed limits with safety cameras, traffic officers and other police resources.
“There is absolutely no way to justify these sort of speeds in a residential area, especially near a primary school, and we will take decisive action against anyone who puts lives at risk in this way.”
North Yorkshire Police recently launched its #SlowDownSaveLives campaign. The force announced it was intensifying its efforts to reduce speeding in residential areas, and on rural roads and key routes.
There has been an increase in high speeds since lockdown began, with motorists being clocked at up to 133mph on North Yorkshire’s main roads and 60mph in 30mph residential zones.
Senior officers confirmed they are continuing their operation to reduce speeds by deploying high-visibility patrols, safety camera vans and other resources to key areas across North Yorkshire until the standard of driving improves.
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It is happening more & more. The long straight road by the estate where we live sees this on a daily basis. Will it take a death before something is done?
The language a couple of Men commented regarding
this post was so unacceptable. Such language
should not be for all to see. I read this on Marketplace.
As a resident of Barton I am aware of the selfish and often dangerous behaviour of drivers who seem to consider Silver Street as their personal racetrack. Although entirely subjective it appears that the majority of drivers enter the village in excess of the legal speed limit seemingly oblivious to the school and the children playing in the park.
I hope that a permanent Solution can be found as soon as possible for the benefit of all local residents