Avon & Somerset Police responded to public concern about the number of accidents in Frome this year. On Tuesday 21 November as part of Road Safety Week, Police ran a day of action in and around the town. By the end of the day over 200 offences had been detected.
Police say initially the aim was to target dangerous drivers and engage with the public in conversations about road safety.
The concerted day of action included a number of initiatives.
In the town centre, officers from the Road Safety, Neighbourhood and Mounted teams provided a visible and reassuring presence. They engaged with members of the local community providing road safety advice. A crushed vehicle was on display to serve as a poignant reminder of the potential consequences of driving uninsured or without a valid licence.
The operation was supported by police speed enforcement units and Community SpeedWatch volunteers. They were stationed on key routes around the town to detect motorists travelling at unsafe speeds.
Roads Policing officers were also patrolling the area with the support of the drone team. They utilised Automatic Numberplate Recognition (ANPR) to identify potential traffic offences such as uninsured driving.
As a result of the day of action:
- 204 speed detections, with a top speed recorded of 55mph in a 30mph limit.
- Community SpeedWatch volunteers monitored thousands of motorists travelling through the town, of which 46 will be sent a warning letter along with advice to help change their driving behaviour.
- Five uninsured vehicles were seized.
- One fixed penalty notice was issued for use of a mobile phone at the wheel.
- Three drivers were identified not wearing a seatbelt.
- One driver was arrested and later charged with drink driving after a roadside breath test revealed them to be over the legal alcohol limit.
- Officers stopped a vehicle linked to a reported assault and seized an offensive weapon.
It would be nice to see the police spend our money on actually catching criminals rather than the cash cow that is the motorist.
My take on that is that picking off speeding motorists on a dual carriageway such as the A303 is bad use of Police resources, but using those resources to seek out and prosecute/fine/whatever those motorists really breaking the law by not having insurance, MOT, no Road Fund (as it used to be!) or have not updated DVLA with their owner details is well worth doing. I would even be happy to see ANPR patrols going through supermarket carparks or as unmarked cars parked at a filling station!
You never know, they might even identify motorists who have declared SORN but are still using the vehicle.