Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) – the digital signs that flash up your speed as you drive past, followed by either a green smiley face or a red frowning one – are soon to appear on Hitchin Road after a successful application by Fairfield Parish Council (FPC) to Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) Highways.

The application for match funding for the devices was made several months ago (before last month’s accident brought renewed interest from residents), and approval has now been received after a recent CBC survey showed that excess speed levels on the road meet the required criteria.

Before Fairfield was developed for housing, this was a relatively high-speed route between Stotfold and Letchworth/ Hitchin, and not widely used by pedestrians or cyclists. It is to be hoped that the SIDs will play a part in re-educating and reminding drivers from outside the parish that it is now a residential area. Further traffic calming devices and signs are also being considered across Fairfield – including child-friendly signage to encourage children to practice road safety on Dickens Boulevard, after this was suggested by a resident who attended the July FPC meeting.