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03/03/2003
Over 5,500 offenders recorded during road safety blitz
The police have reported that its province-wide blitz on poor road safety has resulted in a total of 5,516 people being detected or reported for traffic offences.
Co-ordinated by Road Policing Command Units, 'Operation Viper’ took place on six days over a three week period and raised awareness of the road safety message – and so cut down road deaths and serious injuries.
Drink/drug driving continues to be a principal factor in road collisions and as such was one of the main target areas of the operation. Attention was also directed to other main causes of road death such as excess speed, careless and dangerous driving, and failure to wear seat belts.
Over the operation period a total of 156 people were arrested for drink driving. A further 882 will be reported with a view to prosecution for motoring offences, whilst 1,978 fixed penalty notices were issued for offences such as speeding, not wearing seatbelts, and defective vehicles. Advice and warning was given to another 2,658 motorists.
Operation Viper began on the weekend of February 14 and ended last weekend. The police say that the results indicate there is still a "hardcore" of drivers who break the law by drink driving, speeding, driving without due care and attention or not wearing a seatbelt.
A spokesperson for the PSNI said: "The co-ordinated information-led approach to the planning and organising of the operation demonstrates not only the PSNI’s commitment and focus to this growing community safety issue but also its ability to catch and deal robustly with offenders thus ensuring the roads are safer places for all."
Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland, head of the PSNI’s Operations Department, said he was encouraged by the success of the province-wide operation.
“So far this year 35 people have died on our roads. This carnage has got to stop or, as I said when Operation Viper began, 200 people will be dead by Christmas.
“These figures indicate that an element within our society continues to drink and drive. Others use excessive speed and put road users’ lives at risk. We will continue to track these drivers down and prosecute them," he said.
“Too many lives have been lost and too many families devastated by the selfish actions of others. This operation reinforces our approach of education and enforcement and demonstrates our commitment to making road safety a priority for everyone,” he added.
(GMcG)
Co-ordinated by Road Policing Command Units, 'Operation Viper’ took place on six days over a three week period and raised awareness of the road safety message – and so cut down road deaths and serious injuries.
Drink/drug driving continues to be a principal factor in road collisions and as such was one of the main target areas of the operation. Attention was also directed to other main causes of road death such as excess speed, careless and dangerous driving, and failure to wear seat belts.
Over the operation period a total of 156 people were arrested for drink driving. A further 882 will be reported with a view to prosecution for motoring offences, whilst 1,978 fixed penalty notices were issued for offences such as speeding, not wearing seatbelts, and defective vehicles. Advice and warning was given to another 2,658 motorists.
Operation Viper began on the weekend of February 14 and ended last weekend. The police say that the results indicate there is still a "hardcore" of drivers who break the law by drink driving, speeding, driving without due care and attention or not wearing a seatbelt.
A spokesperson for the PSNI said: "The co-ordinated information-led approach to the planning and organising of the operation demonstrates not only the PSNI’s commitment and focus to this growing community safety issue but also its ability to catch and deal robustly with offenders thus ensuring the roads are safer places for all."
Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland, head of the PSNI’s Operations Department, said he was encouraged by the success of the province-wide operation.
“So far this year 35 people have died on our roads. This carnage has got to stop or, as I said when Operation Viper began, 200 people will be dead by Christmas.
“These figures indicate that an element within our society continues to drink and drive. Others use excessive speed and put road users’ lives at risk. We will continue to track these drivers down and prosecute them," he said.
“Too many lives have been lost and too many families devastated by the selfish actions of others. This operation reinforces our approach of education and enforcement and demonstrates our commitment to making road safety a priority for everyone,” he added.
(GMcG)
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