Suffolk: 1000 Drivers Caught Speeding

1 September 2012, 06:00 | Updated: 1 September 2012, 09:16

Nearly 1,000 motorists were caught speeding in Suffolk during a week-long speed enforcement campaign in the county.

The campaign, led by TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network ran between Monday 20 and Sunday 26 August.

Roads Policing Officers and Suffolk Constabulary’s SafeCam vans were deployed countywide to increase checks and enforcement during the campaign and clampdown on those speeding.

During the campaign a total of 967 motorists were caught speeding, 64 of which were caught by SafeCam cameras and fixed cameras, and the remaining 903 were caught by police officers on patrol.

Speeding is one of the ‘Fatal Four’ driving offences alongside drink driving, using a mobile phone and seatbelt offences. Last year there were 28 fatal collisions on Suffolk’s roads resulting in 30 deaths. In six of these incidents speeding was identified as being a contributory factor. In 2010 speeding was a contributing factor in just under a third of road deaths in the county.

Sgt Paul Ward of the Casualty Reduction Team said:

“During the campaign our officers have been working hard to highlight the issue of speeding through enforcement and education and drivers should know that there is never an excuse for flouting the speed limit. Campaigns such as this see a heightened concentration on those speeding in the county but our aim is to reduce the amount of casualties on Suffolk’s roads throughout the year and we will continue to crackdown on those who drive at excessive speed.

“Thirty people were killed on Suffolk’s roads last year and twenty in the previous year and the role speed plays in both fatal and serious road traffic collisions cannot be underestimated. The difference of a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death. The faster someone is driving, the less time they have to stop if something unexpected happens. The message is very simple - Speed limits are there for a reason.”