Driver has licence revoked after dangerous driving on A3
A man who drove at more than double the speed limit on the A3 in Surrey has had his licence taken off him for dangerous driving.
53 year old Andrew Simpson from Woking was filmed undertaking vehicles at 107 miles per hour by officers in an unmarked car in April 2023.
Sergeant Gary Lefort from the Roads Policing Unit was conducting an anti-social driving patrol on the A3 when he noticed a grey Volkswagen ID travelling along the Esher Bypass near Painshill and Cobham.
Sgt Lefort witnessed the Volkswagen driving at speed and undertaking other road users exceeding the temporary 50 miles per hour limit in place for the roadworks.
The vehicle was then seen tailgating a Vauxhall Corsa travelling at the speed limit, trying to force it out of the way by flashing its lights and driving close behind it in an aggressive manner. When the Vauxhall Corsa moved into a nearside lane, the Volkswagen accelerated sharply again to 91 miles an hour.
It then undertook a Mercedes at 100 miles an hour, before undertaking three further vehicles at 107 miles per hour. Having seen enough to be convinced that the driver posed a significant risk to public safety, the vehicle was stopped.
The driver tried to justify his behaviour by claiming that someone was chasing him and trying to run him off the road, becoming agitated and confrontational. He was reported for dangerous driving, and was sentenced on Monday, 5 February at Guildford Magistrates’ Court.
Simpson was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and he'll need to pass both the theory test and an extended driving test before he'll be able to get his licence back.
PS Lefort said, “The manner of driving displayed by Andrew Simpson exemplifies exactly why Roads Policing Units utilise unmarked vehicles and robustly enforce Fatal 5 offences. I hope the sentence handed down by the court serves as a deterrent for other drivers who may think of driving in such a manner on Surrey’s roads.”
The Fatal Five relates to five main contributory factors that cause serious road traffic collisions:
Distracted driving (such as using a mobile phone)
Excessive or inappropriate speed
Drink and drug driving
Failing to wear a seatbelt
Careless and inconsiderate driving