More than 1,000 drivers caught speeding during Global Road Safety Week
MORE than 1,000 motorists were caught speeding as Staffordshire Police joined forces with Community Speedwatch groups across the county during the Un-backed Global Road Safety Week.
In total, 1,277 drivers were clocked exceeding the speed limit on the county’s roads either by one of 29 Community Speedwatch groups, or one of Staffordshire Police’s mobile speed camera vans.
The week ran from May 17 to May 23 and was part of the UN’S Global Decade Of Action For Road Safety running from this year until 2030. It was set up because, according to the UN, “every 24 seconds another person is killed in a road traffic crash”.
In Staffordshire Police’s week of action, as well as the speeding motorists five drivers were found to be using their mobile phone at the wheel. All drivers caught speeding were either offered a speed awareness course or hit with a fixed penalty for their offences. No court summons were issued.
Sergeant Tom Watson, of the Roads Policing Unit, said: “It was a very successful week. Staffordshire Police supported Global Road Safety Week this year, focussing on speeding offences on lower-speedlimit and residential roads.
“Our Roads Policing Unit have visited a number of Community Speedwatch locations across the county to bolster the activity our residents were undertaking and to reinforce the message around the ‘Fatal 4’ offences leading to people being killed and seriously injured on our roads.” The “Fatal 4” are inappropriate speed, using a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt, and drink- or drug-driving.
“Over the course of the week, 1,277 speeding offences were recorded with the vast majority of people being educated around the offences and it being highlighted to them the dangers speed poses in our communities,” Tom added.
“Staffordshire Police is committed to continually targeting the offences which lead to increased risk to road users in a bid to reduce the number of casualties on our roads.” The Community Speedwatch Groups out as part of the week included Barton, Tatenhill & Rangemore, Tower (Winshill) and Uttoxeter Town.