Police crackdown on speeding drivers in bid to reduce serious accidents on South Yorkshire roads

Police are taking part in a crackdown on speeding drivers to reduce casualties and fatalities across South Yorkshire

Officers across South Yorkshire are set to take part in the National Police Chiefs’ Council summer campaign, the force’s second speeding operation of 2019.

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During the two weeks of action information will be shared to educate drivers on why limits are in place and raise awareness of the consequences of exceeding them, alongside enforcement checks being carried out.

In a survey carried our earlier this year by the Roads Policing Team, over 25 per cent of respondents said that they wanted officers to crackdown on speeding drivers.

Inspector Jason Booth from the Operational Support Unit said: “Nationally, inappropriate speed contributes to 24 per cent of collisions that have resulted in deaths and 11 per cent of all injuries from road related collisions reported to the police.

“Speeding can easily be avoided and laws are in place to protect drivers, other road users and pedestrians- a few miles an hour over the limit can have serious consequences and devastating effects on victims and families of those involved in collisions.

“Officers will be working alongside the Safer Roads Partnership and Safety Camera Partnership to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding, and will be using speed vans, cameras and stopping vehicles who they believe to be speeding, to deter drivers.

During two weeks of action in January, 65,751 offences were recorded nationally, with 620 of those being in South Yorkshire. Joanne Wehrle, South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership manager said: “Our message to drivers and riders is that the speed limit is not a target – it’s the absolute maximum and does not mean that it is safe to travel at that speed in all conditions.“Factors such as the weather, the state of the road and the time of day should be considered when choosing what speed to travel at.“If you kill or seriously injure someone because you were driving too quickly, you will have to live with the long-term emotional consequences.”

South Yorkshire Police will be sharing information on speeding and its dangers over the next few weeks.

For more information about the penalties of speeding, please visit https://www.gov.uk/speeding-penalties