Target bad driving – not just phone use!

Cheshire Constabulary is taking part in a national week of action against drivers who use their mobile phone behind the wheel.

The week of action begins on 15 April, with officers taking part in enforcement and educational activity in support of the National Police Chief Council’s country-wide campaign.

It’s a well-known fact that using a mobile phone while driving is one of the main contributory factors in a fatal collision so officers will be on the lookout for anyone taking a call, texting or scrolling through their phone while driving.

Head of Cheshire Police’s Roads and Crime Unit, Superintendent Jo Marshall-Bell said: “National statistics suggest that drivers who use mobile phones behind the wheel are four times more likely to be involved in a collision. Why drivers continue to use their phones while knowing this, utterly baffles me.

 “I have no doubt in my mind that the majority, if not all, road users know that it is against the law to use their mobile phone while driving. Many people try and hide it down by their laps in a bid to avoid being caught. We will have covert vehicles and officers out and about on the lookout for people brazen enough to flout the law. These covert officers could be in vans, on motorbikes or pedestrians – can you be certain you’re not being spotted by officers?

“There is an absolute fundamental need to take road traffic offences seriously. People are dying on our roads as a result of people’s reckless decisions and it is an absolute tragedy for those families who have lost their loved one. There is no excuse. If caught using your mobile phone while driving, you will face the prospect of a £200 fine and six penalty points on your licence and, if you’re under 21, you could lose your licence.”

As well as enforcement, the campaign will focus on educating drivers about the dangers of driving whist using a mobile phone. Throughout the week-long operation the force will be issuing messages through the @CheshirePolice and @CheshPolTaskforce social media accounts.

Ed: I witness, on a daily basis, motorists ignoring red traffic lights or exiting junctions carrying a Halt sign without even a cursory glance. It’s a pity Cheshire Police can’t do more than pursue their coffer-filling mobile phone agenda. Check out the following and excuse the Anglo Saxon – the main image at the top of this article is the car involved – oh and watch out for the mobility scooter on the wrong side of the road! : https://youtu.be/qBYLEeWkg6w