23 vehicles stopped from driving after police action around Devonport
Plain clothed and uniformed officers were looking for dangerous drivers, or vehicles which were unsafe
More than 23 vehicles have been pulled off the roads around Devonport, as part of coordinated police action with the driver licensing agency.
There were concerns over things like documents and tyres with plain-clothed officers also out looking for those speeding or dangerous driving.
Inspector Paul Laity, who heads the neighbourhood police team in Devonport and West Plymouth said: “We know how crucial it is to continue to keep our roads safe for both drivers and pedestrians.
"Dangerous driving is an issue, with people unnecessarily losing their lives or suffering injuries due to careless behaviour on the road; in 2021, 47 people were killed on the roads of Devon and Cornwall and 647 were seriously injured.
"Every single death or injury on our roads is one too many. That's why operations focused on road safety like this one is an essential part of our efforts to take proactive action against this problem.
"During the road safety operation, fourteen drivers were pulled over for motoring offences including driving whilst on their mobile phone, driving without insurance and MOT, and driving without a seatbelt.
"All drivers have been reported and suitable penalties will be issued, including speed awareness courses, points on licenses and fines. Two unmarked police cars were also deployed for the operation, and arrested two people for suspected drug driving. Both individuals are currently under investigation.
"Police Community Support Officers conducted community speed watch checks and were pleased to report the vast majority of drivers were within the speed limit, driving at an appropriate speed for the conditions. Several drivers were given warnings regarding their speed which exceeded the roads’ limits.
"The DVSA inspected multiple vehicles and dealt with a number of issues including insecure loads, trucks that were overloaded with contents and tyres that were unsafe. In total, the DVSA team temporarily prohibited 23 vehicles from re-joining the carriageway until the dangerous defects were resolved."