New Vehicle‑Activated Speed Sign Delivered to Chigwell Parish Council

Chigwell Parish Council is pleased to announce that we have taken delivery of our new Vehicle Activated Speed (VAS) Sign, a modern and environmentally friendly tool designed to improve road safety across the parish.

About the New VAS Sign

This upgraded unit is solar powered.

• Fully solar‑driven, requiring no external wiring or power supply.
• Low‑maintenance and highly efficient, suitable for a variety of roadside environments.
• App‑controlled.

The sign’s settings are managed via a secure mobile app.  This allows our team to:

• Adjust display messages, speed thresholds, brightness settings, and operating times quickly and easily.
• Intuitive safety messaging.

The VAS sign displays a range of reactive messages and symbols based on approaching vehicle speed, including:

• Too Fast – alerting drivers to reduce speed.
• Slow Down – reinforcing safe driving behaviour.
• Thank You – displayed when drivers comply with speed limits.
• Smiley or Sad face icons – giving simple visual feedback.
• Speed display – showing the vehicle’s detected speed where appropriate.

These light‑based, instantly recognisable messages are designed to increase driver awareness and encourage safer, more considerate travel through our community spaces.

Current Trial Location

The sign is currently being trialled on the Cemetery approach road (Froghall Lane), allowing us to assess:

• Local traffic speeds.
• Display effectiveness and visibility.
• Battery performance and solar charging.
• Optimal placement and mounting options.

This trial phase ensures we understand how the sign performs before moving it to other key locations.

Future Deployment Across Chigwell

Once the trial is complete, the VAS sign will be deployed around various sites within Chigwell to help:

• Improve driver compliance.
• Support safer pedestrian and community areas.
• Reduce speeding in known hotspots.
• Provide data to support future road‑safety decisions.

Benefits for the Parish

• Promotes safer roads for residents and visitors.
• Reduces speeding through gentle, behaviour‑based prompting.
• Supports our community safety objectives.
• Operates sustainably using solar power.
• Enhances the parish’s ability to respond to traffic concerns proactively.