If you’ve ever spent any time as a pedestrian in London, you’ve likely encountered the strange breed of drivers who like to speed their way around the city. They gun their engines and power their way along the street – only to stop 50 metres later at the next red light. In the south east of London, issues with cars speeding through local residential areas are reaching new heights. And, as the BBC reports, residents in one street in Bromley have decided to take matters into their own hands.
People living on Siward Road and Godwin Road in Bromley have noticed an alarming number of cars driving dangerously fast. This is due largely to drivers using their roads as shortcuts as they navigate the area. Following a number of accidents in the area in the past few years, they’ve started keeping track of cars with a speed gun. Reportedly, they caught one driver going as fast as 75 mph.
Speeding in Bromley
The issues with speeding date back to 2019, when Bromley Council installed a speed acitvated sign to deter people from speeding. This came after residents originally raised their concerns about the risky driving. According to residents, though, this deterrent has had little effect.
In the time since, residents along the street have reported 1,000 vehicles that were ‘obviously speeding’. Following the procurement of the speed gun, it was determined that almost half of the drivers along the street were speeding and driving over the 30 mph speed limit.
According to the Met Police, dealing with speeding and traffic is a local council responsibility. Bromley Council, meanwhile, has stated that the area is not a priority. Said Nicholas Bennett, Bromley’s councillor for transport, highways and road safety:
“Looking at Siward and Godwin Roads, there have been no recorded injury collisions in the three years to June 2025 and therefore our focus will be elsewhere.”
For now, the residents will no doubt continue to keep track of those speeding their way along their streets.