Police launch five-month crackdown on speeding motorists near Plymouth
SPEEDING motorists are being targeted in a five-month clampdown by police.
Operation Slowdown, which was due to be launched today in Carkeel, will see specialist road safety officers dispatched to nine different locations around Cornwall to catch motorists who ignore speed restrictions.
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These locations will include at least three sites in East Cornwall.
Speeding vehicles will be pulled over by the police and the drivers given the choice of the usual fine and penalty points on their licence, or spending 15 minutes at a nearby location where they will be given an educational session on the consequences of speeding.
The initiative, which sees Devon and Cornwall Police teaming up with the Safety Camera Partnership and Cornwall Council's, comes as authorities release shocking new figures.
In 2009 in Cornwall, 23 people were killed, and 162 seriously injured in road traffic collisions.
There were also 1,497 reported collisions involving personal injury. A total of 2,088 reported being injured.
Graeme Hicks, Cornwall Council cabinet member for Transportation and Highways, said motorists in Cornwall who are intent on breaking the speed limit will be asked to consider the consequences of their speeding in a bid to make them change the way they think and drive.
"One collision is one too many and we're doing everything we can to make our roads safer," Mr Hicks said.
"This is a really powerful scheme that will make people who are caught speeding think very hard about what they are doing."
Chris Billing, Cornwall Council road safety officer, said: "The consequences of speeding, and possibly being involved in a collision, have far reaching consequences on the driver's family, friends, and the community at large.
"We ask that people drive responsibly and think of everyone else who will be affected by their actions."
Pc Dave Trout, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary road casualty reduction officer, described speeding as being "anti-social".
"The sooner more motorists realise that and slow down to an appropriate speed, the safer our roads will be," he added.
Operation Slowdown follows a campaign by the county's council and police last November when police mounted a 20-minute seatbelt check at Saltash.net Community College.
29 Comments
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by Vinnie Garstoke, Plymouth
Friday, April 30 2010, 6:46AM
“3000ish people killed on our roads every year.
We all make mistakes and excess speed just makes the mistake harder to correct.”
by rob5gt, stoke
Thursday, April 29 2010, 11:44PM
“yeah lets all do the speed limits!! Cant wait for that gridlock !!”
by Richard, Plymouth
Thursday, April 29 2010, 10:34PM
“Why speeding?..why not have a blitz on general "Bad Driving"?..like people who don't leave a sufficient gap between themselves and the car in front?..I bet my mortgage that causes more accidents than speeding.”
by Mr Meaner., Plymouth
Thursday, April 29 2010, 6:17PM
“Phil, Sutton Harbour. Thanks for that mate. My typing error. I meant persecuted. Thanks anyway.”
by white van man, under the tamar
Thursday, April 29 2010, 6:11PM
“i'll speed if i want if you dont like it get out my way! if i see a copper or camera i'll slow down and speed up when he's gone if you dont like it tough luck stop moaning and get on with it!!!!!!!!!”
by jon, plymouth
Thursday, April 29 2010, 5:55PM
“nobody ever gives the correct figuers on just how many of these accidents are dirrectly attributable to excessive speading.To bulk up figuers(same as firearms)any kind of transgression is lumped into the total.”
by Brian, Liskeard
Thursday, April 29 2010, 5:27PM
“If there is a speed limit and you are caught exceeding it? you can protest all you like,
But you do not really have an excuse do you? just accept it.”
by Phil, Sutton Harbour
Thursday, April 29 2010, 5:11PM
“Call me a nitpicker Mr Meaner, but if you went on a road safety course and paid a £60 fixed penalty, then you weren't prosecuted (that is a criminal term and fixed penalties are not a criminal matter).
So I've done you a service, you thought you had suffered a criminal prosecution and actually you hadn't......
...it's OK, don't mention it, glad to be of service.”
by Mr Meaner., Plymouth
Thursday, April 29 2010, 4:59PM
“A few years ago I was caught going through a speed camera at 37mph in a 30mph zone. I was being tailgated at the time by a fire engine on a shout. I increased my speed to find a suitable place to pull over to let it pass and got caught in the camera. I protested my innocence to no avail and chose to attend a seminar on road safety rather than have points on my licence. The seminar lasted over 2 hours and I still had to pay a £60 fine. I thought there would be just a few people at this seminar. There were 400 of us. Everyone I spoke to were guilty of the same offence, driving at 37mph in a 30 zone. What a coincidence. Boy racers were conspicuous by their absence, most of us being middle aged. A few months later I found myself in a similar situation with a fire engine again,only this time I did not increase my speed or at the risk of damaging my wheels, mount a kerb to let it pass. Instead I kept within the limit until I considered it safe to pull over. It tailgated me for probably a quarter of a mile. As it passed I suffered various hand gestures and verbal abuse. I phoned the police on my mobile there and then to report the driver for dangerous driving. The police asked for the registered number of the fire engine which I didn't get. As a result they said they could do nothing. Great service wouldn't you say? I'm a law abiding guy but no respect for the police I'm afraid. With 45 years driving under my belt, that is the only time I have been prosecuted for a traffic offence.”
by The Equaliser, Plymouth
Thursday, April 29 2010, 4:33PM
“Whilst I feel there is a need to curb the speeding motorist, there are equally important issues that need to be addressed. Thanks to the CPS the police have a thankless task these days of trying to secure any type of conviction even when they are certain a person is guilty of criminal activity. Figures for driving offences returns 100% hit rate and as a fringe benefit they rake in the revenue. Get rid of CPS and out of touch Judges and revert back to how it used to be when the law was respected. Only then will we be living in a better society, where the criminal is treated as such and sympathy shown to the injured party. Every week we read in our local paper of scum that walk from our courts laughing at the weak judicial system. It is simply no deterrent these days.”