Tuesday 22nd April 2008
(ref:
116/2008)
Police and council road safety officers caught more than 200 motorists driving illegally in just one day.
Officers stopped and spoke to drivers using mobile phones at the wheel and not wearing seatbelts through to people using illegal number plates and other offences.
Officers were on patrol around Newtown and Robin Park. Those caught had the choice of paying their fine or reporting directly to the fire station to be shown an educational video of the potential consequences of dangerous driving by fire and rescue officers.
Council road safety manager Julie Dagnall said:
“It takes less than a second for a road collision to occur and wearing a seatbelt could mean the difference between life and death.”
The enforcement event brings together the council and partners in the Wigan Road Safety Forum. The forum runs events such as training courses, staged vehicle crashes and young people’s education, across the borough to ensure everyone is aware, not only of the law, but of the consequences of breaking it.
Saturday’s session netted 181 seat belt offenders, 41 of these refused to attend the video session and took the fixed penalty instead.
There were seven endorsable fixed penalties, mainly for mobile phone use, and 21 other non-endorsable offences, including having tinted windows or illegal plates.
Children whose parents were called in watched a separate video – “Teddy Takes a Tumble”, which showed them what happens to an unrestrained toy, or child, during a collision. Specially trained council road safety officers supervised the children during the sessions.
Senior officer in the operation, Sgt John Brennan, said:
“All too often I’ve attend a crash scene where people have been needlessly killed or seriously injured. It’s dreadful to have to explain to families that their loved ones would be alive today if they had simply worn their seat belt or hadn’t been using their hand-held phone when driving.”
The law states that if a seat belt is available, it must be worn. It’s the driver’s responsibility to ensure anyone in the car under 14 wears their belt or child restraint. Over 14s must ensure they wear a belt if available. There is a fine of up to £500. Since 2003 it has been an offence to use a hand held phone when driving. The penalty is a £30 fixed penalty or up to £1,000 on conviction in court, or £2,500 for drivers of buses or goods vehicles. Drivers may even be prosecuted for not controlling their vehicles if they use hands free sets. Whilst most people know the law, the responses of motorists to seeing the visuals of the consequences – upset and stunned silence – means that events like this will continue as part of the Road Safety Partnership’s work borough-wide.
