THE 20mph initiative was a well meaning idea. Anything we can do to make our roads safer can only be a good thing, and it is a fact that keeping speeds low can save lives.

But, four years after Oxfordshire County Council introduced the limit, the reality is the 20mph limit has become virtually meaningless.

It took until August, 2012 for Thames Valley Police to issue its first fine for breaking the limit, despite the county spending £250,000 introducing the scheme back in 2009.

Without police enforcement, there is no penalty for drivers who flout the limit.

Drivers are well aware of this, which is why they are not keeping their speed in check.

So it is perhaps no surprise that residents like those in Lime Walk are taking matters into their own hands.

No-one wants to live on a rat run, so these so-called “soft” traffic calming measures will hopefully make drivers think twice. We hope common sense prevails, and that drivers will take more care in future.

In terms of enforcement though, people in the county have a choice to make. A police officer actively enforcing a 20mph speed limit is one less officer actively chasing burglars. It’s a matter of priorities.