A five-day PSNI road safety operation has resulted in 2,132 speeding detections while a further 308 traffic offences were detected.
Among those detected during Operation Lifesaver between 27th July and Friday 31 July were speeds twice and three times the limit.
Examples include a restricted driver driving at 62mph on a 30mph stretch of the Tandragee Road in Poyntzpass; a driver detected at 81mph on the 40mph Knockbreda carriageway in Belfast and a driver speeding at 90mph on the A2 Garron Road in Glenariff where it’s 30mph. Other notable detections included a driver detected speeding at 105mph on the 60mph Belfast Road, Nutts Corner.
While the operation focused primarily on tackling speeding, with the majority of detections made through deployment of Northern Ireland Road Safety Partnership safety camera vans, a number of other driving-related offences were also detected by police. These included 59 detections for careless driving, 45 for no insurance, 57 for construction and use 18 drink or drug driving detections, 18 for not wearing a seatbelt and 15 for using a mobile phone while driving.
Chief Inspector Celeste Simpson is the Head of the PSNI’s Road Policing Unit.
“Despite repeated police appeals for motorists to slow down, there are still drivers speeding. There are still drivers who are not heeding our fatal five messaging, drivers who think it’s okay to drink-drive, to not wear a seatbelt, to drive an uninsured car or use your phone while driving,” says Chief Inspector Simpson.
“Anyone who speeds, who commits any of these offences, is putting their life and the lives of others at risk. It’s unacceptable, and there has to be a societal attitude change towards speeding and road safety in general. The attitude ‘it’s not really a crime’, or ‘the worst won’t happen to me’ has to change and people have to take personal responsibility for their actions. Drivers must think what they need to do keep themselves and every other road user safe.”
“From the start of the year, 44 lives have been lost on Northern Ireland’s roads and too many people have been left injured as a result of a road traffic collision. Take a moment to think about this,” urges Chief Inspector Simpson. “These are more than statistics. Each death is a catastrophic loss, with too many people whose lives have been changed in an instant. Actions behind the wheel don’t just affect the driver, they affect other road users too.
“Remember the Fatal Five – slow down, stay off your phone, never drink or drug drive, don’t get distracted and always wear your seatbelt.
“Making sure you do all you can as a driver and road user to ensure your journey is safe should be a priority at all times because the road is something we all share. A little more patience, respect and awareness could save a life.”
