Arrests made in latest Devon and Cornwall Police operation
Operation Vortex is well underway - with around 100 drivers pulled over by the force in the last week alone
If you're being careless, drink or drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, using a phone or speeding - then the police are on a mission to track you down.
The Devon and Cornwall Force are on the second week of Operation Vortex, targeting drivers who disregard road traffic laws.
They're hoping to catch people committing offences under the 'Fatal Five', the kind of collisions which happen when external factors impact the way in which people drive.
Last week alone (w/c May 15), nearly 100 vehicles were stopped by officers, with 30 caught speeding, 15 caught on a mobile and six arrested for drug driving.
In all, 98 vehicles were stopped.
Out of those:
- 6 drivers were arrested for drug driving
- 7 drivers were arrested for other offences, including aggravated burglary, kidnapping and false imprisonment
- 15 drivers were reported for using mobile phones
- 9 drivers were reported for failing to have valid insurance
- 30 drivers were caught speeding - five of those have been reported to court
- A number of vehicles seized
A team of officers continue to carry out patrols and observe driver behaviour in unmarked vehicles across Devon and Cornwall this week.
Motor Patrol Constable Richie Roome of the Alliance Roads Policing Team at Devon & Cornwall Police said: “We’re working hard to reduce the number of people killed and injured on the roads of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
“It is well known that the ‘Fatal Five’ play a big part in the collisions we see across our force area. Our aim is to make sure that we keep everyone safe on our roads by making sure those who commit offences are caught and dealt with appropriately.”
Operation Vortex aims to not only deal with road offences, but to also educate the public of the potential life-changing repercussions of their actions.
Drivers who commit offences could receive a fine and points on their licence, a court appearance and even imprisonment for more serious offences.
Constable Richie Roome continued: “There have been a significant number of very serious collisions on Devon and Cornwall’s roads recently and, sadly, many of these have resulted in a tragic loss of life.
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind drivers to be considerate of other road users, and to consider how losing their driving licence would affect them, their employment, their family and their livelihood.
“Law abiding road users have nothing to fear from this operation. Our sole focus is to deal with drivers who are putting other road users at risk and keep everyone on our roads safe.”