Ref.10580DRIVERS ignoring the 30mph limit as they drove into Avebury last Thursday had a choice of getting a ticket or a lesson in how to drive safely.

The police and the Wiltshire County Council road safety unit set up Operation Advice jointly.

It was organised in response to complaints from Avebury residents and the parish council that too many drivers ignore the village's 30mph limit.

Their fears were confirmed when motorists were pulled in at the rate of about one a minute for exceeding the limit.

Drivers were given a choice of options depending on their speed.

They had to be travelling at 36mph or faster to be pulled into the Avebury Sports and Social Club car park.

Those who had been travelling between 36-40mph were given the option of having a £60 fixed penalty ticket or taking part in a re-education exercise run by the county road safety officers.

It involved sitting at a car simulator and being shown the distance it would take to stop at the speed they were clocked at, compared with 30mph.

Drivers going between 41-49mph were issued with a fixed penalty ticket but were also offered the opportunity to take part in the simulator exercise.

Those exceeding 50mph were reported for summons and will eventually have to go to court. They, too, were offered the opportunity of trying out the simulator.

Traffic heading into Avebury from the Devizes direction was targeted because it is the stretch of road where police have received regular complaints from villagers about traffic ignoring the speed limits.

In the first ten minutes, the officers stopped a dozen drivers for speed infringements varying from 36mph to 45mph.

All of those who were clocked at between 36-40mph took the opportunity of taking part in the simple simulator exercise and getting a warning about their speed.

One young woman from Greater Manchester, who was visiting friends in the Marlborough area, said: "I think it's a very good idea.

"From what they showed me on the simulator it does take much longer to stop at 36mph than at 30mph, which is something I will remember."

Another young woman driver who got shirty with the stopping officer even before he could offer her the alternative to a ticket was sent on her way with a £60 fixed penalty to pay and three penalty points on her licence.

Salisbury divisional police press spokesman David Taylor said the operation had been a success because most of the drivers stopped who agreed to use the simulator were surprised to see just how much further it takes a car to stop for every mile an hour faster than 30mph.

PC Phil Salisbury, who headed Operation Advice, said Avebury was chosen because there have been a number of complaints about drivers speeding as they headed into the village.

He is warning that similar operations will be carried out in areas across the rest of the county where there are regular speeding problems.