According to Kent & Medway Safety Camera Partnership, many drivers who receive speeding tickets say they had no idea they were travelling in a 30mph zone. Yet driving just a few miles above the speed limit can mean the difference between life and death - 85% of people hit by vehicles at 40mph die compared to 20% at 30mph.
Now the Partnership is aiming to reduce the number of crashes on the county's roads by making motorists more aware of the speed limit in built-up areas.
The Partnership's 'Street Lights Mean 30' campaign launches on October 10 with an event at Maidstone's Fremlin Walk shopping centre, the first of eight being held across Kent throughout October, November and December.
Shoppers are invited to come along and enjoy a performance by the 'Street Light Singers', who will be dressed in 9ft street light costumes and singing a variety of songs between 11am and 3pm. They will be joined by the Street Lights team who will be offering information and advice, handing out free goodies and giving shoppers the chance to enter a competition to win one of three Nano iPods.
The Partnership's Communications Officer, Sarah Temlett, says: "According to a recent survey, 73% of drivers didn't realise that street lights mean you are driving in a 30mph zone, unless otherwise stated. This campaign aims to get across, in a light-hearted way, the very serious message that Street Lights Mean 30."
Further details about the campaign will be available at www.streetlightsmean30.co.uk from October 9. The site will include driver safety information and a list of event dates and venues, as well as a link to a Facebook group, where drivers can get more involved with the campaign and talk about their own experiences.
FACT FILE:
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Last year in Kent, more than a third of the 33,417 Notices of Intended Prosecution issued to motorists were for speeding within a 30mph zone.
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Where there is a system of street lighting, 30mph signs can only be present at the start of a 30mph zone because highway rules do not permit further 30mph repeater signs to be erected.
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By breaking the speed limit, you could incur a minimum £60 fine and three penalty points on your licence.
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Speeding contributes to the 36,000 serious injuries and 3,400 deaths that occur on Britain's roads each year.
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The force of the impact on a cyclist or pedestrian is increased by a third when they are hit at 35mph rather than 30mph.
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An average family car travelling at 35mph will need an extra 21 feet to stop than one travelling at 30mph.