Summer crackdown on dangerous driving begins

Sussex Police have now launched their annual campaign to tackle dangerous driving and get people to drive responsibly and considerately.

Every weekend between April and September officers are set to take part in the operation, providing a ‘highly visible presence’ on the Sussex road network and taking enforcement action where necessary.

Police said they would use a variety of tactics including automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and drones.

“Last year, 46 people were killed on roads in Sussex and 934 people were seriously injured,” said chief constable Jo Shiner, adding that this has a devastating impact on families, individuals and communities.

Police said they aim to reduce the ‘fatal five’ factors that lead to people being killed or seriously hurt on roads.

These are: driving at excess speed, drink and/or drug-driving, not wearing a seatbelt, careless and antisocial driving, and being distracted while driving (such as by using a mobile phone).

Chief constable Shiner said: “A split second of inattention or poor driving can change lives forever.”

She added that everyone using the roads has a personal responsibility to keep themselves safe and not put others at risk.

A big part of the campaign, will involve cracking down on people that use roads to peddle drugs, transport vulnerable people or facilitate other crime.

Sussex Police said a recent example of dangerous driving is the conviction of Giacomino Morrone, 24, of London Road, Burgess Hill, who police said was seen performing a wheelie in front of a convoy of unmarked police vehicles in Brighton.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “Footage shows him riding at excess speed, reaching 80mph in a 20mph, riding through red lights, and reaching 107mph on the A27 in order to evade the police.”

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said Sussex has ‘an extensive but mainly rural roads network’.

She said: “If we want to make them safer for everyone, we must recognise the dangers of all kinds of antisocial and careless driving.”