NAHANT ― Throughout the year, the Nahant Police Department has been placing speed radars around town to ensure the safety of residents and motorists.
Nahant sees a lot of traffic throughout the year, whether it’s for beach traffic in the summer or the town’s annual Polar Plunge in the winter. According to the police department, a small population and an even smaller crime rate means officers can in on roadway safety.
Police Chief Timothy Furlong said that these new radars will “90 percent of the time slow down drivers.”
There are two different types of speed radars installed in town. One is a device referred to as S.M.A.R.T, or “Speed Monitoring Awareness Radar Trailer.” The device can be moved to different areas around town, depending on need.; you may see them near Johnson Elementary School as of this fall.
When motorists begin to pass the S.M.A.R.T radar, they will see the legal posted speed limit as well as their own current speed posted below. A statement issued by the police department said that “Use of the S.M.A.R.T unit greatly aids in educating the public, as many drivers are unaware of exactly how fast they are actually going or do know know the local speed limits.”
There are also speed-reading devices installed on lampposts around town. While the concept is similar to the S.M.A.R.T. devices, they serve a different function to the police department.
The lamppost-mounted radars tell passersby their current speeds and then store the information. If the police department gets calls about fast or unsafe drivers in the area, the police can then go into the account and look at all of the device’s past posted speeds. The police can then use this data to decipher whether or not to put an officer on patrol in that area to issue speeding tickets.
All our radars are annually certified,” said Furlong. “They are accurate.”
Some are greeting the news of the new speed radars with relief.
“When I had children in school I was glad that traffic slowed down approaching the school,” said town resident Flo Sigourney.
Furlong said he has noticed a current spike in speeding since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and added that he and his department have been working diligently to lower those numbers. The Nahant Police Department highly recommends that citizens call in their concerns when it comes to speeding, and to drive slowly through their community.
“People are always going to speed,” Furlong said. “They have some place to go and want to get there as quick as they can, but the speeding laws are in effect for a reason ― and it’s to keep the motorist safe and the pedestrians safe.”
Hannah Chadwick can be reached at [email protected].
