Buttons Lucas can look out her window and see motorists slowing as they approach the speed trailer posted on Bedford Road.
Even as motorists head southbound – the trailer faces northbound – she can see brake lights burning red.
“I think it’s good,” she said of the trailer, which was posted by Brookfield police and shows the speed limit and how fast an approaching vehicle is traveling.
“They fly on this road, especially the young kids after school,” Lucas said. “It’s horrible.”
The department bought the trailer with a grant from the Kirila Family Foundation, said Police Chief Dan Faustino. The trailer, bought from Shaker Heights police, was used and needed some work. The department used a credit with Advanced Auto Body, Sharon, which also donated work, to fix it up, and the Brookfield Police Association paid to have it painted and striped.
“It looks like one of the patrol cars,” Faustino said.
The trailer is being used in conjunction with enforcement to try to get people to slow down, he said. Bedford Road was chosen because of complaints about speeding, and the trailer will be moved to other “target” areas, he said.
“The big thing is for people to let us know where we’re having problems,” Faustino said, although he added that, because of the trailer’s size, it cannot be used on all roads in the township.
The chief said he understands how people get comfortable driving certain roads and might not even realize how fast they are driving.
“The nice thing about the speed trailer is, if you’re not paying attention to your speed, it allows you to self-correct,” Faustino said. “It brings it to your attention.”
The trailer does not have a counter and does not log the speeds of passing vehicles, he said.
