A runaway driver who reached speeds of up to 100mph was one of several motorists pulled over and fined by police during a lifesaving day of action.
Nottinghamshire Police set up check points at traffic hot-spots across the county last Wednesday (19 October) and also increased proactive patrols as part of its annual Project EDWARD exercise.
Project EDWARD stands for Every Day Without a Road Death and is a national week of action designed to reduce the number of deaths on the roads across the UK.
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This week’s initiative was focused on positive engagement with drivers about vehicle safety, safe use of the road and safe speeds.
More than 100 drivers were stopped and spoken to by police clamping down on Fatal Four offences – speeding, mobile phone use, driving under the influence and not wearing a seatbelt.
Some drivers were given friendly words of advice, whilst others were dealt with more robustly.
Fourteen motorists were pulled over and given tickets for speeding, two were fined for not wearing seatbelts and another had their vehicle seized for driving with no insurance.
In Newark, a 32-year-old man was pulled over on the A1 after driving at speeds of around 100mph.
He was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and has been released under investigation.
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A further 90 drivers were clocked by mobile speed vans and can expect letters through the post.
PC Joshua Gibbons, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Roads Policing Team, said: “As police officers we are unfortunately called upon to deal with the aftermath of serious road traffic collisions.
“We see at first hand not only the death and serious injuries caused by these incidents, but also the utter devastation experienced by families.
“The sad truth is that so many of these incidents could have been avoided – if only somebody had been travelling at a more sensible speed; if only they hadn’t been under the influence of drink or drugs; or if only they hadn’t been using their phone at the wheel.
“So this day of action was not about ‘catching people out’ – It was about addressing these ‘if onlys’ with drivers before it’s too late.
“In most cases people are actually very receptive to us and are happy to hold their hands up when they’ve done something wrong. Ultimately, we are trying to make the roads safer for everyone and I think most people understand that.”
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