Speeding motorists get the hair dryer treatment outside East Norfolk Sixth Form

Harry Gough (left) and Adam Curtis are trying to highlight the problems with speeding outside the East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Gorleston. Â© Archant 2014

Drivers were fooled into slowing down outside a busy college by officials aiming hairdryers like speed guns.

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Harry Gough (left) and Adam Curtis are trying to highlight the problems with speeding outside the East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Gorleston. Harry Gough (left) and Adam Curtis are trying to highlight the problems with speeding outside the East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Gorleston.

Adam Curtis and “travel buddy” Harry Gough stood outside East Norfolk Sixth Form College wearing high visibility jackets training both a hairdryer and a real speed gun at passing motorists.

Mr Curtis said most drivers were taken in by the ruse, and were visibly horrified immediately hitting their brakes.

He said the aim was to protect vulnerable students who were unable to cross quickly.

So dangerous was the area around Church Lane that some students were having to take taxis to college with many anecdotal reports of near-misses.

Harry Gough and Adam Curtis are trying to highlight the problems with speeding outside the East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Gorleston. Harry Gough and Adam Curtis are trying to highlight the problems with speeding outside the East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Gorleston.

Although no-one will be fined as a result of the exercise Mr Curtis is hoping the evidence gained will help his case for both a pelican and zebra crossing on the main approaches to the hub.

“The fastest we registered today was 48mph coming up from the roundabout in a 30mph speed limit right near the college on a blind corner. We want students to be aware that you really cannot trust the cars and to give a presence to show that we are working in that area.

“That roundabout is incredibly dangerous and students are suffering because it is not safe to go out.

“It is quite difficult for us to get hold of speed guns and a hairdryer does look pretty much the same and has the same effect - there is smoke coming out of the car as the brakes go on.”

Mr Curtis, an officer with Norfolk County Council’s Titan (Travel Independence Training Across the Nation) programme which works to promote independence for vulnerable people, said young people needed to able to move around their town with confidence.

He said: “Today was an awareness day and it does make drivers slow down - their faces were absolutely horrified, there is quite a change as soon as they spot us. The students really enjoyed it and were more aware of the dangers as a result.”

Titan has been running in Norfolk successfully for around ten years, helping up to 300 students a year. It works to promote independence through road safety and travelling by bus so that vulnerable people can move about as easily as anyone else.

The work at East Norfolk also fits in to a wider trial to set up a Suffolk Titan programme. Under the scheme each student is assigned a travel buddy who works with them on a one-to-one basis helping them to travel independently.