In a bid to enhance road safety across the County, Wiltshire Police held a comprehensive summer road safety campaign.
Over the course of the past month, the entire police force prioritised road safety, employing both enforcement measures and intensive awareness initiatives. The primary focus revolved around the “fatal five” offences, which are notorious for contributing to severe collisions:
- Speeding
- Drink and drug driving
- Using a mobile phone while driving
- Failing to wear a seatbelt
- Careless and dangerous driving
The launch of this campaign was prompted by a concerning spike in fatal and serious injury collisions on Wiltshire roads.
During the month of August alone, the Roads Policing Unit (RPU) issued a total of 612 notices for various offences, including speeding, mobile phone usage, and seatbelt violations. Additionally, the RPU made 68 arrests related to drink or drug driving during the same period.
Over the entire summer season, a staggering 2,788 notices for motoring offences were issued by the RPU.
Assistant Inspector Will Ayres commented, “News of any death on our roads is completely devastating especially for those closest to the person involved, but when you know the death could have been prevented it really is heart-breaking, so we’ve spent the past month raising awareness amongst drivers of the fatal five offences and how important it is to give the road your full attention at all times.”
Ayres continued, “Officers have done a really fantastic job patrolling some of our collision hotspots and targeting those drivers who fail to abide by the law. It’s easy to become complacent when getting behind the wheel of a car as it’s something we do every day, but if we can change people’s attitudes then we will make our roads a safer place to be.”
Tragically, most fatalities this year occurred on specific routes, including the M4, A303, A338, A360, A3102, and A4. In collaboration with Highways England, the RPU executed Operation Tramline on the M4 over nine separate days in August, identifying 129 offences from an unmarked lorry.
Ayres emphasised, “As roads policing officers, road safety is our number one priority every day of the year, but this month has seen us intensify our resources and clamp down on those drivers who fail to abide by the law. We know what it is like to have to deliver a death message to a family following a fatal collision, and we know how it can impact such a huge number of people, and that is why we feel so passionate about raising awareness about road safety, especially the fatal five offences.
He further noted, “We’ve used a variety of tactics to identify offenders including the use of the unmarked HGV and an unmarked mini bus.
“Although the campaign is over, we will continue with our work to improve road safety in Wiltshire and would urge all drivers to keep the fatal five offences in the forefront of their minds when driving.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson added his perspective, stating, “Nationally, we saw a record number of drivers appearing in court accused of speeding last year and road safety is an issue which is highlighted to me as I speak to residents across Wiltshire and Swindon.
“Campaigns like this, and the combined efforts of our specialist Roads Policing Unit, Community Speed Enforcement Officers and Community Speed Watch teams, are important to show that we will robustly target those drivers who fail to abide by the rules on our roads.
“Speeding, driving under the influence of drink or drugs or with a mobile phone in your hand, puts the lives of passengers and the wider public in total jeopardy.
“My Police and Crime Plan prioritises road safety through a combination of education, deterrence and enforcement. This is why we need to ensure safer roads for all – where communities can carry on with the peace of mind that dangerous drivers are being caught and swift action is being taken.”
