Vehicles seized and drivers reported in roads policing crackdown
Written by Gavin on 28th January 2021
An operation by South Wales Police to put the brakes on dangerous and antisocial driving in Rhondda Cynon Taf has been hailed a success.
Drivers have been reported for offences such as drink driving, careless driving, and speeding during a four day operation which coincided with a national ‘Fatal Five’ campaign which began on 19th January, 2021.
Roads policing officers teamed up with local officers and the council’s CCTV operators to target hotspots across the region, such as the A4119 in Talbot Green, the Michael Sobell Sports Centre, the McDonald’s in Aberdare, and the A4059 in Mountain Ash.
These locations have been the focus of many complaints from residents, local businesses and road users who have had concerns about dangerous and nuisance driving. The operation aims to keep road users across south Wales safe by cracking down on what have been dubbed the ‘Fatal Five’, which are the main causes of road traffic collisions and injuries in Wales.
They include:
• Drink and drug driving
• Careless driving
• Speeding
• Driving while using a mobile phone
• Driving without wearing a seatbelt
During the four days, one driver was arrested for drink driving, five drivers were reported for speeding, two for careless driving, one for driving while using a mobile phone, and one for driving without wearing a seatbelt.Other drivers were also reported for having vehicle defects – one who was caught driving without insurance had his vehicle seized.
Roads Policing Officer, Pc Wayne Evans, said: “Our sector colleagues contacted us about the problems being experienced by residents so we set about tackling those issues.
“Our roads policing officers flooded the area and worked well with local officers and CCTV operators to respond quickly to gatherings of so called boy racers.“We took action wherever we could and dealt with people for a range of offences – in doing so we are sending a strong message that we are policing the roads and will not tolerate a blatant disregard for road safety. Rest assured our work in the area will continue.”