Infuriated by traffic issues?
Preston Parish Council and Humberside Police are encouraging residents of Preston to join 'My Community Alert' - an excellent way to communicate localised issues and updates to residents.
At present, only 2.3% of Preston's population are registered.
Home Page - My Community Alert Click this link and join Humberside Police My Community Alert today.
On the subject of traffic, we received this email and by sharing it on our website, we hope more of you will join My Community Alert and use the available methods of technology to report traffic matters direct.
Operations Snap -Humberside Click this link to report:
Aggressive or careless driving ~ Driving without due care and attention
One of the biggest problems faced by the residents of Preston is traffic, as we all know. Ideally a bypass would be the perfect solution, but something like that would take years to come about and a massive budget that simply isn't available.
Physical changes in road layouts, signage and speed limits are down to local County Councils and National Highways. We - as the Police - can make recommendations and offer advice, but at the end of the day we cannot force, nor fund the changes. Furthermore, if changes are actually approved by the necessary public bodies, residents are also still required to agree to them, and the barrier “we” have faced in the past is the lack of response or approval from them - Kirk Road/Rectory Lane being a prime example some years ago, when fewer than 7% of residents even responded to approved changes, and of those some did not agree to the work. 75% of residents are required to agree to the change before it can be actioned.
While one cause of the traffic problems is the attitude of drivers, the other cannot be ignored, and that is the modern technology we have in vehicles: satellite navigation. Most drivers these days blindly follow sat navs and road signage is almost an irrelevance to them.
I have personally contacted Google and Waze and highlighted the errors/omissions on their mapping systems which often direct traffic through roads that are not suitable or perhaps not even legal routes. However, my input is not enough due to algorithms and AI recognition. Furthermore, Waze has stated that they operate only a navigation system for cars as things stand, and they are not prepared to add things that are suitable for lorries, such as 7.5T limit signage. That said, you can alert Waze to things as you drive, using their instant reporting system.
I intend to get in touch with Garmin and TomTom too, but many cars are fitted with in-built systems that do not recognise changes until they are improved with a new memory card or software update.
Reporting Map Errors on Automotive Devices | Garmin Support
However, you can help too. Below are the instructions for notifying Google Maps of errors, omissions and necessary changes. Other sat nav apps and systems have similar methods, and if you - as residents of the affected areas, as well as users of the roads in question report en-masse, then the system will hopefully recognise a need to update and change.
In the meantime, we will continue to enforce the road traffic law in Preston - as well as many other villages in Holderness - when time and staffing allows, and we would also encourage you to use the Humberside Police dashcam reporting system: Operations Snap -Humberside which is very efficient and highly recommended as we cannot physically be in all places at all times.
You can report incorrect, missing, or inappropriate data in Google Maps, such as wrong addresses, missing roads, outdated information, or policy violations, directly from the app or website.
On Mobile (Android or iOS)
Open the Google Maps app.
Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.
Select Help & Feedback from the menu.
Tap Edit the map to report map errors, or Send product feedback for other issues.
Choose the relevant problem type (e.g., wrong address, missing place, road issue) and follow the prompts.
Enter the correct details or draw the missing road if applicable, then tap Submit.
On a Computer
Go to Google Maps in your web browser and sign in if needed.
Click the ☰ menu in the top-left corner.
Scroll down and click Edit the map.
Select the issue type (e.g., wrong pin location, missing place, add/fix road, wrong information).
Fill in the required details, adjust the map marker if needed, and click Submit.
Kind regards
Jonathan
S/Sgt 6096 Dunning-Davies
South West & Mid Holderness Communities
Hedon Police Station
Residents comment
' Operation Snap' is such a simple but effective way to self-report drivers, direct to the police without having to ring 101. I witnessed parking on zig-zags near a crossing recently and took a photo on my mobile phone. Later that day I sent it off to 'Operation Snap'. I answered a few questions and it was done - as simple as that. The matter was evidenced and straight into the hands of those that can officially deal with it. And they do. So, without my little bit of information and just a few minutes of my time, I feel I have supported the police and reported something that could have been missed if the police wasn't in the area at that time. Hopefully, drivers will get the message that their bad habits won't be tolerated. What a great initiative.
You may have recently seen a small group of people wearing high-vis by the side of our village roads monitoring traffic speeds. These are members of Preston Village Community Speed Watch.
The Community Speed Watch scheme allows residents, particularly those in rural communities, to become police-trained volunteers monitoring vehicle speeds in their communities, with the aim of changing the behaviour of some road users who drive above the speed limit through small towns and villages. Similar projects have been in place up and down the country for some years and have proved to be very effective.
We currently have 7 villagers in our group and have 6 locations approved by the police where we monitor vehicle speeds.
The Community Speed Watch group records the total number of vehicles that pass and the details of those exceeding the speed limit whilst monitoring. This data is fed back to the scheme manager and those exceeding the speed limit will be sent a letter informing them they were driving above the speed limit. If they repeat this, they will receive a stronger letter and further repeats will ultimately face prosecution with resultant fine and points on their driving licence.
This is good for our village as drivers should drive slower or choose another route outside of the village. Our data will be presented at the monthly Parish Council meetings. We can also use this data to help the police see where speeding blackspots are and encourage ERYC to be more proactive with traffic issues in our village.
For more information please attend the monthly Parish Council meeting on the 2nd Monday of every month (except Augusts) and find out more or email me, Preston Community Speedwatch Lead on cllr.tonyhodge@gmail.com
Tony Hodge
Community Speedwatch
Message from Humberside Police:
Following last night's parish council meeting ( 9th Feb), it appears that dangerous parking and misuse of the lanes marked "No Motor Vehicles Except for Access" are still a bugbear to residents of Preston.
Residents are encouraged to use the Operation Snap portal to submit photographs and video footage of any offences. Please remember the photograph or footage must show the offence clearly as well as the vehicle registration plate.
You can find the Op Snap portal here: Operations Snap -Humberside
We will continue to patrol Preston, and report drivers for inappropriate use of vehicles, but you are there all of the time, and you can help. Please remember if you have a legal right to access the access only roads
and capture a vehicle which does not (on helmet or car camera footage) the offence is only complete once the motorist has driven/ridden through the area from end to end without hesitation or deviation.
Do you want to play a part in improving traffic issues in Preston?
If so, by following a simple 'reporting' procedure, you can aid changes to sat nav systems that direct traffic through Preston.
Please read the following information, kindly provided by East Riding of Yorkshire Council's Senior Engineer / Traffic Management.
Why this matters: Many sat nav systems (Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, etc.) rely on user feedback to improve routing. When drivers report that a road is unsuitable for through traffic—especially if it’s narrow, historic, or prone to causing vehicle blockages—these platforms can adjust their algorithms to discourage future routing through those areas.
What we’re trying to achieve: We want to reduce inappropriate traffic on ancient, narrow streets by encouraging residents and visitors to report these roads as unsuitable. The more people report, the more likely it is that the mapping systems will take notice and adjust their routing algorithms accordingly.
Why frequent reporting helps: These systems prioritise commonly reported issues. If multiple users flag the same road as problematic, it increases the likelihood of a change. Even if you’ve reported it before, doing so again—especially after seeing another vehicle get stuck—can make a difference.
How to Report a Mapping Issue
Apple Maps
1. Open Apple Maps on your iPhone.
2. Find the street in question.
3. Tap on the street name or location pin.
4. Scroll down and tap “Report an Issue.”
5. Choose “Navigation Issue” or “Road Issue.”
6. Describe the problem (e.g., “This road is too narrow for through traffic. Vehicles frequently get stuck.”).
7. Submit the report.
Google Maps
1. Open Google Maps on your phone or browser.
2. Locate the street.
3. Tap the three dots (⋮) in the corner of the screen or click on the street name.
4. Select “Report a problem” or “Edit the map.”
5. Choose “Wrong information” or “Road is missing/closed.”
6. Add a description (e.g., “This road is unsuitable for through traffic. Vehicles regularly get stuck.”).
7. Submit.
Waze
1. Open Waze while driving or stationary.
2. Tap the orange speech bubble icon.
3. Tap “Map Issue.”
4. Select “Road too narrow” or “Not suitable for traffic.”
5. Add a short description (e.g., “This road is too narrow for cars. Please reroute traffic.”).
6. Submit the report.
Humberside Police - Operation SNAP
Another successful way of reporting dangerous or illegal driving is via Operation SNAP.
Operation Snap is a police initiative that allows members of the public to report dangerous or illegal driving they have witnessed, typically captured via dashcam, helmet cam, or mobile phone footage. This helps police take action against unsafe road users and improve road safety.
What Can Be Reported
• Dangerous driving
• Driving while using a mobile phone
• Ignoring traffic signals or signs
• Aggressive or careless driving
• Driving without due care and attention
What Evidence Is Needed
You must have video footage of the incident. The footage should clearly show:
• The vehicle and its registration number
• The incident taking place
• The date and time of the incident
Still images or written descriptions alone are not sufficient.
How to Submit a Report
1. Visit the Humberside Police Operation Snap webpage.
2. Fill out the online form with your details and a description of the incident.
3. Upload your video footage.
4. Submit the report.
Note: You may be asked to provide a witness statement and could be required to attend court.
What Happens After Submission
The police will review the footage and determine if further action is warranted. This could include:
• Issuing a warning
• Penalty points or fines
• Prosecution
You will be informed if your footage is used and may be contacted for further information.