Motorists have been urged to "calm down" after more than 1,300 speeders were clocked by Flintshire volunteers throughout 2022.

The Buckley Community Speedwatch group carried out 102 hour-long roadside sessions during the year - and has now stood down for Christmas and New Year.

Overall, this has entailed 575 volunteer hours - including administration and DVLA data-checking to start the process of having a cautionary letter sent to the speeding motorists.

Cllr Arnold Woolley, who co-ordinates the group's activities, confirmed that during the 102 roadside activities, 1,328 speeders were recorded - of which 1,267 will have received a letter urging them to be more careful drivers.

This gives the group an accuracy rating of 95.4% for the year, beating its self-imposed target of 90%.

But not all inaccuracies can be attributed to the team mis-reading, Cllr Woolley said.

"We are fairly certain we have been passed by a number of cloned VRM's (vehicle registration marks)," he said. 

"[For example] items where we see a white Vauxhall Van, but the DVLA tells us the the VRM belongs to a Blue Ford saloon or such.

"Our data also tells me that among the 1,328 recorded, 24 were out of current road tax and 25 were out of MOT.

READ MORE: Here's how many speeders were clocked by the team in 2021

"Alongside those, four others showed up at DVLA records as being subject to Statutory Off-Road Notices (SORN) at the date they drove past us."

Speaking of the speeds recorded, he added: "On the matter of speeding just a wee bit over the legal limit, analysing my raw data figures provides that of those 1,328 speeders recorded, 617 of them were recorded at 40mph or more on one of our 30mph roads, meaning that 46.4 per cent were certainly not doing just a mile or two over the top.

"This year, our highest recorded speed was 57mph on Raikes Lane in Mold, which is, believe it or not, a 30mph speed limited road."

And speed isn't the only thing that catches the group's attention.

Cllr Woolley added: "Standing close by the roadside in broad daylight as we do, we cannot help but notice the worrying number of drivers not bothering to belt up as the law requires, or to keep to a safe distance from the vehicle in front. 

"As for the visible use of mobile phones, that activity is all too common. 

"We have also seen drivers with small children on their laps and in one case, a sizable Alsatian-type dog sitting on the driver’s lap, with its paws on the steering wheel.

"A few months ago a lady pulled up next to us and said she wanted to thank us.

"She said she travels with a two-year old child in the back and that she got one of our letters, so she slowed down.

"A few weeks earlier, she said, an idiot came flying out of a junction in front of her and if she'd been travelling at the speed she usually did, she'd have had a crash.

READ MORE: Buckley volunteers clock more than 200 speeders in August

"That one letter from GoSafe made a world of difference for that driver and all I can say is that's the difference between a responsible driver and the idiots who tell us 'we just bin the letter.'

"Some people are getting the message, and that's what we're there for.

"The team is not there to extract cash from the pockets of drivers, nor to stick penalty points on driving licences. 

"Working with GoSafe, CSW teams are at the roadside trying to make drivers behave more legally and responsibly, so that our roads are safer for all - be they pedestrians, cyclists or motorists of all kinds.

"Speeding is irresponsible, dangerous and often fatal.

"People need to calm down and realise that driving is a responsibility - not a liberty.

"If any reader feels they would like to join our small team, be it only for an hour volunteered for each week or month, please get in touch with me on 01244 549421."