Warwickshire Police is starting to see the results of a new shift pattern introduced in April 2020 that has allowed Operations Patrol Unit officers to conduct a significant increase in operations specifically designed to address road safety concerns and priorities.
The new shift pattern means that Roads Policing Officers will be spending more time proactively policing the county’s roads to help reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in the county.
The latest of these operations ‘Operation Brevis’ took place on Thursday 13 August at M6 Corley Services North aimed at ensuring the drivers of commercial vehicles using Warwickshire’s motorway network are complying with relevant legislation relating to driver’s hours, vehicle safety and weight legislation and to educate and enforce these regulations where necessary.
Officers were deployed on the M6 motorway in order to identify commercial vehicles including cars, vans and larger goods vehicles and escort them in to the site for inspection.
Sergeant Lee Roden said “Officers used their expertise to identify and target vehicles due to their condition, potential for weight offences and to spot check tachograph offences. Officers also used their discretion to bring vehicles in for other offences or issues.”
During the operation officers seized three vehicles for no insurance and four vehicles were prohibited from travelling further until defects were corrected or their weight reduced including a Ford Transit found to be 45% overweight. This could cause serious problems for the driver and other road users when the vehicle brakes. Two vehicles were also found with defective tyres.
One driver received a Traffic Offence Report for using a mobile phone whilst driving (a potential 6 points on their licence and a £200 fine) and another driver for not wearing a seatbelt (potential £100 fine).
The driver of a vehicle was stopped for driving with no insurance, no licence and was arrested for an immigration offence. He was also wanted by another force for ten speeding offences.
Officers took the opportunity to educate drivers and advice was given to four drivers for defective bulbs, low tyre pressure, low brake pads, and a missing wheel nut.
PS Roden added ”Today was an example of how effective a targeted roads policing operation can be and some great results were achieved before rain stopped play. The defects found on some of these vehicles not only put the drivers’ lives in danger but the lives of other innocent unsuspecting road users and that is why these operations are so important.
“If you plan to travel through the county of Warwickshire or use the strategic roads network then be prepared to encounter these types of operations.”
