Cardboard cut-out police officers help combat speeding in Reay
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Two 24/7 traffic cops have been "commissioned" to help deter speeding in Reay.
The village is the latest where cardboard cut-out officers wielding radar guns have been deployed – and early indications are that the move is paying off.
The initiative has come from Caithness West Community Council, which has long sought to combat speeding through the village.
It successfully campaigned to have the limit reduced from 40 to 30 miles per hour but is frustrated at the number of motorists who flout this.
The two plastic robocops, dressed in hi-vis jackets and pointing speed guns, are stationed opposite the primary school and on the long straight stretch between the golf course and the village store.
Supplied by a Nottingham firm, they have become a talking point among local residents and visiting motorists.
They have also proved their worth, according to community councillor David Craig.
“The one opposite the school has a 20 mph zone in operation when the school is in,” he said.
“We regularly see people going at excessive speeds past there and earlier this summer vehicles going at more than 60 was not uncommon.”
Mr Craig said there has been a definite drop in the speed of traffic since the deployment of the mock cops.
He added: “They are pretty convincing when you come across them for the first time.
“Locals will get used to them and know they’re not real – but anyone, for instance, driving around the North Coast 500 in a sports car or motorhome will immediately hit the brakes if they are going too fast.”
The community council is now looking at the possibility of extending the initiative to other villages in its patch where speeding is an issue.
The neighbouring Melvich Community Council is considering following suit.
Mr Craig said: “One of their members who works at Dounreay has noticed how traffic is slowing up through Reay but continuing to hammer through Melvich. They are now looking into getting their own figures.”
Mr Craig’s only concern is whether the new traffic cops will withstand the rigours of the Caithness climate.
“They have been given a weatherproof finish and lashed to lampposts so we are hoping they will survive – but time will tell,” he said.
The initiative has been tried out in several other parts of Caithness, including Wick and Reiss.
The community council at the same time has erected North Coast 500 signs at either entrance to Reay. Similar to those established in east Sutherland, they welcome visitors following the route as well as encouraging them to act responsibly.
Mr Craig said: “Driving up the A9, you will see them in a number of villages as far north as Helmsdale.
“We thought it would be a good idea to welcome the NC500 visitors to Reay as well as remind them that they should be respectful of the environment and the people who live here. We want them to come and enjoy the area but to respect us.”
The two signs, supplied by an Inverness company, and the fake cops cost the community council just under £500.
