West Mercia Police backing national operation aimed at educating young drivers on road safety
‘Operation Spotlight’ will show the impact certain factors have in road traffic collisions
West Mercia Police say they are committed to tackling four of the main factors which they believe can seriously impact people's road safety.
Speeding, distractions such as mobile phones, driving under the influence, and not wearing a seatbelt, are the main issues which a two-week operation running until 6 October is aiming to address.
‘Operation Spotlight’ as it's known, will show the impact these factors have in road traffic collisions, in particular with younger drivers.
Inspector Darren Godsall is from the Road Policing team in the force, and he believes education is an important tool in making people aware of some of the dangers which can then help them tackle the issue.
He said: "I think it's really important young people are able to go out and drive or ride as it's an opportunity for independence, but with that comes the responsibility of making those life choices.
"They have to understand that excessive speed, being distracted in the vehicle through using a mobile phone, driving under the influence, not wearing a seatbelt, are key factors which can put not only themselves at risk, but also other people on the roads.
"From an education point of view, this is a crucial message to get across, and as a force, we will also rigorously enforce these offences."
The force say across their patch 56 people died in collisions last year and 468 people suffered serious injuries, with just under a quarter of these involved someone between the age of 16-24.