28th April 2010

BRIDPORT: More than 5,000 drivers stopped in Dorset Road Safe campaign

UNINSURED, unlicensed and drivers using their mobile phone are among more than 5,000 who have been stopped in the three months since the launch of Dorset Road Safe’s ‘No Excuse’ campaign.

A dedicated team of police officers and safety camera units are continuing to catch drivers and motorcyclists showing little regard for their or others’ safety on Dorset’s roads.

Since operations for the year-long partnership project began on January 18th, more than 5,300 motoring offences have been detected, including over 2,000 in the last month (ending April 18th).

Of these, around a third were drivers were not wearing a seatbelt or using their mobile phones while driving.

The ‘No Excuse’ team has now had several cases where drivers were spotted using their mobiles and, when stopped, produced a second mobile stating that “it hasn't been used.”

So far, a total of 88 people have been caught with no insurance, no licence or no MOT, some of whom will have to reclaim their vehicles after they were seized.

There were also 10 offenders stopped for jumping red lights at road works and pedestrian crossings.

The ‘No Excuse’ team, a mixture of Dorset Police officers and Dorset Safety Camera Partnership operators, is committed to cracking down on bad and careless driving across Dorset throughout 2010, with the aim of significantly reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on Dorset’s roads.

Chief Inspector Bob Nichols of Dorset Police Specialist Operations said: “The total of well over 5,000 offences detected by the team in the first three months of the operation underlines the need to improve driver behaviour on Dorset’s roads.

“Each of these offences has the potential to lead to a tragic or more serious outcome in the event of a collision.

“The accounts behind some of those offences illustrate just how inconsiderate and dangerous some drivers are and we will continue to seek to identify those individuals through overt and covert techniques to make Dorset’s roads safer for the majority of sensible and responsible drivers.

“If you are a driver who does intend to continue to commit offences, be aware that this project is due to be on the road for at least the next nine months, so if we haven’t found you yet it may only be a matter of time.”

A new series of poster and radio adverts for ‘No Excuse’ is also currently raising awareness about the consequences of dangerous driving across the county. They feature real-life members of Dorset’s emergency and health services – an accident and emergency surgeon (Dr Rob Török), paramedic (Tracey Malloch) and fire fighter (Diane Critchlow) – who are regularly called on to respond to serious and fatal road casualties.

Their message is simple and straightforward: “We haven’t met. Let’s keep it that way.”

Dorset County Council’s road safety manager, Robert Smith, said: “The success of ‘No Excuse’ will be measured not only in a reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured on Dorset’s roads but a long-term reduction in the number of bad and careless driving offences reported by the police. We are still seeing a significant number of drivers putting their own lives and those of others at risk by some very selfish behaviour. Just because something unpleasant didn’t happen to you yesterday, or this morning, doesn’t mean it won’t happen the next time you drive off.”

BRIDPORT: More than 5,000 drivers stopped in Dorset Road Safe campaign

Comments

Add new comment