Speeding motorists on major South Shields road warned that 'someone is going to get killed' if they don't slow down

Signs warning of enforcement action have been put in place on John Reid Road, between the junction of King George Road and Boldon Lane in South Shields, as part of an increased effort to crackdown on motorists breaching the 40mph limit.

They were installed following concerns from community leaders about the issue, while a series of measures have been suggested to make it safer for those using the dual carriageway, some 22,000 vehicles every day.

Figures seen by the Gazette show that in the first eight weeks drivers were warned of the increased checks, 160 were caught breaking the limit.

The limit was dropped from 50mph a number of years ago in a bid to reduce the risk to people on foot and on the road, which stretches from King George Road to Leam Lane and Newcastle Road in Jarrow.

Councillor Rob Dix, who represents the Harton Ward on South Tyneside Council, was among those to raise concerns about safety route following a number of collisions on the route.

It led to a recommendation from Northumbria Police it upgraded the road to a ‘level 1 community enforcement site’.

He said: “There's a 40mph limit on John Reid Road, but I use John Reid Road every morning going to work at 6.30am and some of the cars overtaking me are doing 60mph.

“I said we needed these restrictions otherwise someone is going to get killed.

“I’m sure these fines will jolt people into thinking about how fast they are going, if they know they could get a penalty for speeding.

“We’ve also put a number of crossings in place on John Reid Road over the last few years to help people get between the hospital, the Nook area around King George Road and the leisure centre.

“We are trying to make it safer for everyone using it.”

He added the impact of the signs will be reported back to the East Shields and Whitburn Community Area Forum, where the concerns were raised with police.

A previous session heard more than a fifth of motorists break the limit, which led to the agreement for enforcement from Northumbria Police.

August’s meeting was told that data showed during the last five years, there had been 39 ‘collisions’ on John Reid Road, more than 80% of which were caused by ‘driver error’.

Research carried out by the council found a series of issues with the route, including overgrown vegetation at the Boldon Lane roundabout, while the lights outside South Shields Community Fire Station were also noted for being old and in need of replacement.