Traffic police targeting drivers in six-month operation

8:54am Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in News By Chris Gregory

TRAFFIC police officers are launching a concerted crackdown on the key causes of accidents in a bid to reduce casualty figures on Hampshire’s roads.

The six-month operation will target drivers who use mobile phones, drink-drivers, speeding motorists and those who do not wear seat belts.

Chief Inspector Andy Bottomley, of Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police roads policing joint operations unit, said these factors are the four main trends in fatal or serious-injury crashes.

He said: “We’re in a position where lives are being lost or heavily affected by collisions which could be prevented by a bit of common-sense and consideration.

“The aim of this crackdown is to really hammer home the risks that bad driving practise carries with it and to try to change the attitudes of those driving poorly.”

In 2011, seven people died on roads in Basingstoke and Deane, while 78 people were seriously injured.

The police said such incidents are down in the northern area – which includes Basingstoke as well as Winchester, Andover and Rushmoor – from 160 to 106 between January 1 and June 30 this year.

But Hampshire Constabulary said that county-wide, there has been an increase in fatal and serious injury collisions since June 30, mainly on the Isle of Wight.

Road users on both the A33 and the M3 will be targeted, as well as the M27, A32, A35, A31 and A2047.

Anyone found not wearing a seat-belt will receive a fixed penalty ticket but those speeding or using mobile phones could face going to court.

Comments(15)

Hector2004 says...
10:20am Tue 23 Oct 12

From my experience, the most dangerous of the dangerous drivers don’t fit any of this target group. They drive so slowly, that they sometimes have to stop at the end of the slip road before trying to join the motorway from stationary. They tend to block the middle lane for the duration of their journey at a fixed and undeviating 50 mph; unless of course there is one of their compatriots already fulfilling that function, where they will drift into the outside lane at 51mph, oblivious to the pile-up they’ve just caused. They wait at roundabouts and hesitate at junctions because they don’t know who’s “turn” it is. Conversely, they’re not old ladies; they mercilessly close the gaps when traffic is merging, trying to prevent any infiltration. If you encounter one on an ‘A’ road, they will speed up should you try to pass them and then drive on your boot lid, flashing their lights and honking their horns when you’re in front. They’re equally happy doing 50 through a village as they are 50 in the “fast” lane of the motorway. Of course, they are immune to any criticism because they drive SLOOOOOOOOWLY and it’s fact that the slower you drive, the safer you are up to the point where you become stationary !

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Buster Preciation says...
10:27am Tue 23 Oct 12

It's a shame the police don't crack down on uninsured drivers. I was hit by one in Basingstoke and I was advised by my insurance company not to go to the police because as no one was injured they wouldn't even log it as a crime.

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Hector2004 says...
10:46am Tue 23 Oct 12

Your insurance company is wrong. It most certainly IS a criminal offence and should of course be reported to the police.

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gearjammer says...
3:19pm Tue 23 Oct 12

the police should also crack down on those drivers who speed through the red traffic lights as it seems they think it is okay to pass the red light. this I see every day on the Blackdam and Aldermarston roundabouts. I am surpprised that there are not more accidents, as I have witnessed many a near crash. The other dangerous driver is mthe parent s of young children who deliver and collect their children from school and let them sit in the front seat. This is breaking the law as there is a certain height and weight placed in law. The police should target these drivers, but as we all know the police are all to busy drinking their cups of tea.

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Beats108 says...
8:56pm Tue 23 Oct 12

Maybe Hampshire Police should crack down on drivers who eat behind the wheel whilst driving and on duty like the two officers today as they tailed behind me from Tadley whilst a motorbike overtook 2 cars in front of me at high speed, in the fog, on a bend at rush hour, as at least 2 of the cars heading towards the bike had no lights on!!

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robertspet8 says...
11:52am Wed 24 Oct 12

Hector2004 says about middle lane drivers, 'They tend to block the middle lane for the duration of their journey at a fixed and undeviating 50 mph.'
What I find impressive is how anxious they are to get into the middle lane. The only time they accelerate is to get from the slip road to the middle lane and generally without any signal. I asked somebody I know why they always drive in the middle lane and they said it was so they did not have to make any overtaking manoeuvres. In other words laziness and lack of consideration for other road users.
The police announced months ago that they were going to have a crack down on drivers hogging the middle and outside lanes but I have not seen any evidence that this is happening.

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Folkestone Saint says...
6:19pm Wed 24 Oct 12

Hector2004 wrote:
From my experience, the most dangerous of the dangerous drivers don’t fit any of this target group. They drive so slowly, that they sometimes have to stop at the end of the slip road before trying to join the motorway from stationary. They tend to block the middle lane for the duration of their journey at a fixed and undeviating 50 mph; unless of course there is one of their compatriots already fulfilling that function, where they will drift into the outside lane at 51mph, oblivious to the pile-up they’ve just caused. They wait at roundabouts and hesitate at junctions because they don’t know who’s “turn” it is. Conversely, they’re not old ladies; they mercilessly close the gaps when traffic is merging, trying to prevent any infiltration. If you encounter one on an ‘A’ road, they will speed up should you try to pass them and then drive on your boot lid, flashing their lights and honking their horns when you’re in front. They’re equally happy doing 50 through a village as they are 50 in the “fast” lane of the motorway. Of course, they are immune to any criticism because they drive SLOOOOOOOOWLY and it’s fact that the slower you drive, the safer you are up to the point where you become stationary !
At last, I was beginning to think that I was the only person to not lose the skill of over-taking, I too have had the speeding up waving and flashing e.t.c., they must be going slow as I drive a diesel Landrover and only over-take when safe to do so.

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Hector2004 says...
9:14am Thu 25 Oct 12

You’re most certainly not the only one Folkestone Saint; many people will be reading this, nodding their heads in agreement. The probability is that these people are also selfish and unreasonable in their everyday lives too.

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Folkestone Saint says...
11:42am Thu 25 Oct 12

Hector2004 wrote:
You’re most certainly not the only one Folkestone Saint; many people will be reading this, nodding their heads in agreement. The probability is that these people are also selfish and unreasonable in their everyday lives too.
Like the person in boots the other day, I was looking at something and stepped back to let him pass, he stood right in front of me and started to look at the same things, when I said excuse me i was looking there he turned and said so am I, he did not get a very nice response and as he was not in his car he could not run away

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jonone says...
4:12pm Thu 25 Oct 12

The targets identified in the article will not affect any dangerous drivers in Basingstoke whatsoever, but will give the police a warm feeling of having done something. The only thing I will say is in regards to the people who do not let people merge in. I am one of these people, well, in that I do not make any effort to make a gap, but I only do it if it is clear that the person wanting to merge in is doing so because they have been blatently queue jumping - i.e. like the huge numbers of people who leave the M3 at J6 southbound and seem to be heading for Alton, only to be seen a short while later heading north after the Black Dam roundabout. Or those seeminging heading south on the M3 from Black Dam until 100 yards from the junction. The same people who were trying to move into the inside lane to leave the M3 at the 200 yard sign because they couldn't bear to be away from the outside lane for any length of time. No doubt I'll be labelled the inconsiderate one, as is usually the case, but I do let people in where it is appropriate, e.g. slipways merging in etc.

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LesFrèresCrucy says...
8:35pm Thu 25 Oct 12

Folkestone Saint wrote:
Hector2004 wrote:
You’re most certainly not the only one Folkestone Saint; many people will be reading this, nodding their heads in agreement. The probability is that these people are also selfish and unreasonable in their everyday lives too.
Like the person in boots the other day, I was looking at something and stepped back to let him pass, he stood right in front of me and started to look at the same things, when I said excuse me i was looking there he turned and said so am I, he did not get a very nice response and as he was not in his car he could not run away
Cracking anecdote. Hopefully the response was suitable. It gets like that in Morrisons by the reduced items shelf. If I don't get in there and cover it, someone is likely to barge in front. Consequently, one is obliged to give no quarter.

Turning into the people I hate by getting in the way and staying there, immobile for an unreasonable length of time, is unpleasant for me. I'm not so sure it affects others as much as it annoys me, though. Then again, I am nodding my head in agreement, and I am selfish, and happily so.

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GC31 says...
9:16pm Thu 25 Oct 12

gearjammer wrote:
the police should also crack down on those drivers who speed through the red traffic lights as it seems they think it is okay to pass the red light. this I see every day on the Blackdam and Aldermarston roundabouts. I am surpprised that there are not more accidents, as I have witnessed many a near crash. The other dangerous driver is mthe parent s of young children who deliver and collect their children from school and let them sit in the front seat. This is breaking the law as there is a certain height and weight placed in law. The police should target these drivers, but as we all know the police are all to busy drinking their cups of tea.
The law doesn't state a weight limit for children in the fron passenger seat. Not sure it is as dangerous as driving whilst on you mobile or when drunk!

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GC31 says...
9:19pm Thu 25 Oct 12

Why do these things need a six month crack down? Breaking the law is breaking the law and there should be zero tolerance from the cops all the time! When the 6 month crack down ends presumably they will be more tolerant?

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Hector2004 says...
9:06am Mon 29 Oct 12

I guess you haven’t really thought your comment through very thoroughly. When the police have a “crackdown” on burglary or drug dealing, do you think they normally “turn a blind eye” ? Maybe a “crackdown” focuses a very limited Police force in a particular area. By publicising it, it also has the effect of making everybody more careful of how they drive. I assume you’ve never committed a motoring offence of any kind ?

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GC31 says...
9:28pm Mon 29 Oct 12

Do you really think that an article in the Gazette is going to change dirver behaviour? Based on your logic a 6 month crackdown on motoring offences will divert limited resources away from things like drug dealing and burgalary?

I wasn't claiming that I've never committed a motoring offence, I think you know very well that it would be near impossible to drive these days and not make the odd mistake. I would say that I'm better than most though. What was the point in your assumption that I haven't?

I was simply making the point that I think this is a bit of a gimic. If there is any substance to this crackdown then the roads will be a more dangerous place to be in 6 months time. In reality I doubt that much will change!

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