Nearly 90 drink and drug drivers arrested and more than 2,500 speeding offences recorded during month long Cumbria police operation

Cumbria Police joined a national road safety campaign throughout the month, targeting the ‘Fatal Four traffic offences which are so commonly a factor in serious and deadly road traffic collisions.

Speeding, using a mobile phone at the wheel, not wearing a seatbelt and driving under the influence of drink and/or drugs make up the Fatal Four.

Officers, including from the county’s dedicated Roads Policing Unit (RPU), target these offences 365 days a year, including through use of statistics and analytics which identify hotspot locations for KSI (killed and serious injury) collisions in the county.

Highlights of the April operation include:

*89 drivers arrested for being over the limit

*57 for drug driving

*32 for drink driving

*30 traffic offence reports for using mobile phone whilst driving

*14 for seat belt offences

*2,672 speeding offences (via the Safety Camera Van and police officers)

Inspector Jack Stabler leads Cumbria Police’s Roads Policing Unit. He said: “Ourselves and our road safety partners are committed to driving down the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads.

“We are on the roads every day targeting Fatal Four offences and using analytics to target road safety hotspots so that our officers are in the best position possible to bring about positive outcomes.”

Officers working on the operation also recorded other motor offences including three fail to stop, two disqualified drivers and two for driving without due care and attention, as well as others for driving without a license, driving without insurance, driving without a valid MOT and driving with a defective tyre.

Police also made non-motoring interventions including for offences such as money laundering, assault, being drunk and disorderly, theft, and five arrests for possession of a controlled substance.

During the month, officers also made use of the specially equipped HGV as part of an operation within an operation – Op Tramline.

Visit https://www.news.cumbria.police.uk/news/op-tramline-fatal-four-offences-targeted-with-help-from-specialist-hgv

Whilst partners from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service began a series of motorbike safety sessions.

Visit https://www.cumbriafire.gov.uk/news/series-motorcycle-safety-sessions-launched

Insp Stabler said: “We’re committed to using every tool to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads – from the road safety vans to the specially equipped HGV.

“However, policing alone cannot bring about the reductions we seek.

“We need drivers to take responsibility for their actions on the road. For the fortunate ones, failure to do so could lead to you being arrested and brought before the courts. The unfortunate ones are those who have to live with the consequences of their poor driving habits resulting in someone – perhaps a family member in their own car – being killed or seriously injured.”