Fillongley knitted traffic mannequins aim to slow speeding drivers

Villagers in Fillongley, near Coventry in North Warwickshire, have made life-size knitted traffic mannequins to highlight speeding and slow drivers at a junction they say has a long accident record. The local Knit and Natter group created the figures, including one called George, from repurposed mannequins. George wears a knitted high-vis jacket and carries a knitted speed camera. The aim is to make drivers think a real speed trap is ahead. The group says George took about 150 hours to make.

The campaign follows 11 collisions in the village in four years. A resident said the group wanted to send a message, especially after witnessing a serious accident outside the pub last year. Heather, a member of the group, said the idea came 'out of my crazy head' in response to speeding through the village. She said all approaches to a nearby crossroads were 'terrible'. The group has also put up knitted zebra crossings and tortoises to encourage drivers to slow down. She said: 'Why knitting? Well with the knitted natter group. What else are we going to do?'

A second knitted officer, called Charlie, went missing after only a couple of days. The group believes he may have been taken by a disgruntled driver. Heather said people had told her traffic was slowing while Charlie was there and that drivers were visibly slowing down when they saw the figures. Fillongley has been described as home to one of Warwickshire's worst accident black spots from speeding drivers, and delays in council efforts have frustrated local people.

A reporter tested George's effect with a real speed gun placed under his arm for an afternoon. Most drivers entering the village were doing around 30mph, but some were considerably faster. Many drivers appeared to brake when they saw the mannequin, although there was no way to know whether they would have braked anyway.

Warwickshire County Council said it had developed a scheme for the junction at the bottom of the hill. Work might start next year subject to approval. Until then, the knitted figures are the village's immediate attempt to slow traffic.