Think before you speed – it could save a life.

That is the message from roads policing officers across Thames Valley and Hampshire next week.

The aim of the campaign is to enforce speed limits for all vehicles and draw greater public attention to the consequences of excessive or inappropriate speed.

If you hit a pedestrian at 40mph then they only have a survival chance of 10 per cent, whereas if you hit a pedestrian at 30mph then they have an 80 per cent chance of survival.

Road Safety Sergeant Rob Heard said: “A few miles an hour over the speed limit or travelling at inappropriate speed can have catastrophic results for road users and their families, many of whom also suffer lasting and profound consequences from collisions where a loved one has been killed or seriously injured.

“Excessive speed will reduce the time you have to react to a hazard and further the distance it takes for you to stop.

“People need to realise it’s a speed limit and not a target so it may be more appropriate to travel at a lower speed depending on the road conditions for their own safety.

“We are committed to increasing road safety and will continue to target those who fail to abide by the speed limits.

“We are also reminding the drivers of goods vehicles that on certain roads they are restricted to lower speeds."