Police roads crackdown
5 VEHICLES SEIZED AT CHECKPOINT
FIVE vehicles were seized on the spot from drivers snared for having no tax, in a multi-agency operation in Burton.
Some 76 vehicles were pulled over during the crackdown on dangerous or untaxed motors – with five seized on the spot. Others drivers were issued with court summons or given fixed penalty fines for defects, including illegal tyres.
Any driver whose vehicle has been seized will have to pay a release fee of up to £200 plus storage of £20 for every day or part day.
The drivers were stopped by officers from Staffordshire Police in Derby Road on Wednesday and directed to a checkpoint. The vehicles were examined and the driver and vehicle details verified.
Of 76 vehicles pulled over, 33 drivers were either issued with summons to attend court or with fixed-penalty notices.
Thirteen were issued prohibition notices by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for defects on their vehicles; six were told to removed tints from their windows; five vehicles were seized for having no excise tax; and three were given advice by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue and Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership over emissions. One driver was reported for failing to display the vehicle registration number correctly. Another vehicle was reported for having defective tyres.
Another driver was reported for not wearing a seat-belt and another was reported for a waste carrier licence offence. Any document offences or vehicle defects were addressed by either fixed-penalty notices or reported for summons to magistrates’ court.
The event marked the launch of Staffordshire Police’s new roads policing plan, known as Operation Lightning, which aims to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads and to disrupt and deter criminals using the network.
Officers will be increasing their focus on roads policing and spending money to more “effectively police the roads”, including buying an extra eight new advanced vehicles to target drivers who break the law.
Response Sergeant Julie Lyman, who oversaw the day of action said: “The objective of this operation was to improve road safety for all users by changing the attitude and behaviour of drivers, gathering intelligence and disrupting criminals use of the roads.
“I’d like to thank all of our partners who have provided their valuable time and assistance.”
Prohibition notices were issued for a wide variety of defects. These included illegally worn tyres; excessively tinted windows; vehicle registration plate illegible or with changed characters; direction indicator missing; coil spring incorrectly located; anti-lock brake or electronic stability control warning light inoperative; and a wheel stud missing