Scores of law breaking motorists caught in Shoreham police operation

Scores of motorists were caught breaching road safety rules in a police operation.

Eighty-three drivers were stopped by officers from the Adur and Worthing neighbourhood policing team over offences during a day-long road safety awareness Operation Airwalk in Shoreham.

Seventy-nine drivers agreed to watch an educational video on the dangers of driving without a seatbelt or while using a mobile phone but two drivers refused and were issued with £80 fixed penalty notices.

Two drivers were also issued with £200 fixed penalty notices for being uninsured while the Vehicle Operator Standards Agency issued four prohibition notices on defective commercial vehicles during the project in Brighton Road yesterday.

Comments(35)

Goldenwight says...
4:27pm Fri 25 May 12

Shame the story doesn't tell us how many law enforcement officials were involved in this operation.

Am I being cynical, or does it look like the Police have told people to watch this video, and if they have declined then they have issued fixed penalty notices? Seems a bit morally suspect to me, that.

NickBtn says...
4:50pm Fri 25 May 12

£200 fine for being uninsured sounds like a bargain. My car insurance is much more than this... where's the incentive to obey the law?

AmboGuy says...
5:14pm Fri 25 May 12

If you're uninsured you should lose your car then it can be either auctioned away or crushed. The law on uninsured drivers is much too lenient in this country.

helena f says...
5:16pm Fri 25 May 12

@Goldenwight : From what I understand, that is exactly the way it works. It is done to encourage people to watch the video and so improve road safety.

Goldenwight says...
5:20pm Fri 25 May 12

helena f wrote:
@Goldenwight : From what I understand, that is exactly the way it works. It is done to encourage people to watch the video and so improve road safety.
What is so bad about this video that people will pay £80 to avoid watching it- does it feature Graham Norton or something?

mimseycal says...
5:37pm Fri 25 May 12

Why not make them watch the video AND fine them ...

voiceofthescoombe says...
6:21pm Fri 25 May 12

But but how many cyclists cycled through red lights and murdered people while Innocent drivers were prosecuted by sussex police

HJarrs says...
6:32pm Fri 25 May 12

voiceofthescoombe wrote:
But but how many cyclists cycled through red lights and murdered people while Innocent drivers were prosecuted by sussex police
From the article none, as none of the drivers were innocent.

The police seem to have been very restrained with only two people fined. There should be many more of these initiatives and if they catch people riding bikes through red lights they should also have their knuckles wrapped.

charlie smirke says...
6:45pm Fri 25 May 12

AmboGuy wrote:
If you're uninsured you should lose your car then it can be either auctioned away or crushed. The law on uninsured drivers is much too lenient in this country.
I thought they did confiscate uninsured vehicles ??

skippy981 says...
6:49pm Fri 25 May 12

So let me get this, some peoples comments are objecting to people getting fined for breaking the law by having no insurance, using a mobile phone, having defective vehicles etc. I see people using phones everyday whilst driving it's dangerous as is having defective vehicles. I do agree with the comment about the penalty for having no insurance is too low though £2,000 seems about right to me.

mimseycal says...
6:55pm Fri 25 May 12

charlie smirke wrote:
AmboGuy wrote:
If you're uninsured you should lose your car then it can be either auctioned away or crushed. The law on uninsured drivers is much too lenient in this country.
I thought they did confiscate uninsured vehicles ??
Supposedly ...

ShorehamBeachcomber says...
6:56pm Fri 25 May 12

They should be fined £500 for every year since they last had insurance, why is it never backdated??

rolivan says...
7:07pm Fri 25 May 12

skippy981 wrote:
So let me get this, some peoples comments are objecting to people getting fined for breaking the law by having no insurance, using a mobile phone, having defective vehicles etc. I see people using phones everyday whilst driving it's dangerous as is having defective vehicles. I do agree with the comment about the penalty for having no insurance is too low though £2,000 seems about right to me.
So what about Jermaine Pennant the footballer £2,000 is peanuts to somebody like Him.Ban them for life.Next sentence them to Jail for 10 years if the re-offend

AGT999 says...
7:15pm Fri 25 May 12

Goldenwight wrote:
Shame the story doesn't tell us how many law enforcement officials were involved in this operation.

Am I being cynical, or does it look like the Police have told people to watch this video, and if they have declined then they have issued fixed penalty notices? Seems a bit morally suspect to me, that.
Watching the video and getting road safety advice is an alternative to a fine/fixed penalty ticket, what's morally wrong with that?

davyboy says...
7:40pm Fri 25 May 12

uninsured vehicles should be confiscated, until the owner shows proof of valid insurance. recently, at heathrow airport, there was a Bentley in the car pound with a sticker on it, stating, 'no insurance-no car'. it was there over a month!!! for other offences, such as speeding, seatbelts and phones, you do get the option to go on a safety awareness course, which normally costs more than the fine, but you do avoid the points!

minnie&teddy says...
8:14pm Fri 25 May 12

none of the punishment handed out to car owners is adequate this is why they all offend again make the fines realy fit the offence

Hard times says...
8:33pm Fri 25 May 12

voiceofthescoombe wrote:
But but how many cyclists cycled through red lights and murdered people while Innocent drivers were prosecuted by sussex police
What are you on about you absolute irrational sociopath!

Every driver stopped here was obviously NOT innocent. Plus it is a operation to catch dangerous car drivers not dangerous cyclists.

What the hell is wrong with you?

Also, please humour us all Brain of Britain by showing us a single example if a murder conviction caused by a cyclists jumping a red light on Brighton's roads.

Where do these loons come from?

Cheese Rolls says...
10:11pm Fri 25 May 12

voiceofthescoombe wrote:
But but how many cyclists cycled through red lights and murdered people while Innocent drivers were prosecuted by sussex police
Hmm rode through red lights and then murdered someone...so after commiting a road traffic offence the rider then shoots somebody?

JoeBlow says...
4:42am Sat 26 May 12

HJarrs wrote:
voiceofthescoombe wrote:
But but how many cyclists cycled through red lights and murdered people while Innocent drivers were prosecuted by sussex police
From the article none, as none of the drivers were innocent.

The police seem to have been very restrained with only two people fined. There should be many more of these initiatives and if they catch people riding bikes through red lights they should also have their knuckles wrapped.
I always thought it took a court of law to decide whether someone is guilty or innocent, not a policeman/woman who *thinks* they saw someone using a phone.

voiceofthescoombe says...
8:56am Sat 26 May 12

Sarcasam roll failed :(

mimseycal says...
9:18am Sat 26 May 12

There is nothing 'thinking' about seeing someone use a mobile phone whilst driving. I've seen many a driver talking away on the phone whilst behind the wheel of a car, zooming along oblivious to everyone else on the road.

davyboy says...
9:39am Sat 26 May 12

if you get caught, good. maybe you will learn, maybe you won't. fines for non-insurance should be much bigger, so that it pays to have insurance rather than not. maybe judges should get quotes, and base the fines on those quotes, so if the quote is £500, then the fine is 5X the quote, £2500. just an idea!

Ballroom Blitz says...
10:17am Sat 26 May 12

davyboy wrote:
if you get caught, good. maybe you will learn, maybe you won't. fines for non-insurance should be much bigger, so that it pays to have insurance rather than not. maybe judges should get quotes, and base the fines on those quotes, so if the quote is £500, then the fine is 5X the quote, £2500. just an idea!
Very good idea. There's no point in just being fined £200. Everyone's insurance is more than that.

the_changing_man says...
10:27am Sat 26 May 12

hands up i got caught! arrrgh! not a rofl today! :(

fredaj says...
10:55am Sat 26 May 12

mimseycal wrote:
There is nothing 'thinking' about seeing someone use a mobile phone whilst driving. I've seen many a driver talking away on the phone whilst behind the wheel of a car, zooming along oblivious to everyone else on the road.
Nor defending mobile phone use, but how do you know that, in their zooming, they are oblivious to everyone else?

plantwoman says...
11:16am Sat 26 May 12

voiceofthescoombe wrote:
But but how many cyclists cycled through red lights and murdered people while Innocent drivers were prosecuted by sussex police
I don't recall ever hearing about someone being murdered by a clyclist going through a red light - do tell!

nemenator says...
12:44pm Sat 26 May 12

I was one of the Shoreham 83. I had a seatbelt on and was not using a phone. I don't mind this at Xmas, but not routinely.

milehi6854 says...
2:15pm Sat 26 May 12

some people think they are above the law they are the ones that get caught, serves them right, after 56 years behind the wheel I enjoy life a lot more now. If You Can't Pay The Fine Don't Do The Crime, simples.

mimseycal says...
2:33pm Sat 26 May 12

fredaj wrote:
mimseycal wrote:
There is nothing 'thinking' about seeing someone use a mobile phone whilst driving. I've seen many a driver talking away on the phone whilst behind the wheel of a car, zooming along oblivious to everyone else on the road.
Nor defending mobile phone use, but how do you know that, in their zooming, they are oblivious to everyone else?
The way they drive the car/van while on the phone.

Hard times says...
3:21pm Sat 26 May 12

voiceofthescoombe wrote:
Sarcasam roll failed :(
In that case then I apologise for my outburst! ha!

The Real Phil says...
10:17pm Sat 26 May 12

Driving without insurance is definitely wrong, and yes, the fine for it should be substantial. But the risk that uninsured drivers pose should be less as they would be more likely to drive with care to avoid detection (with the exception of TDA freaks obviously). But the morons who drive whilst using a mobile, and especially for texting, are far more likely to cause accidents as they concentrate one what they feel is more important to them. If we had a system of no warnings and a ten year ban, then the practice would greatly reduce in a very short time.

Gilbert Ratchett says...
12:25pm Sun 27 May 12

Haven't OB got anything better to do like catching burgulars, rapists and murderers?

mimseycal says...
12:31pm Sun 27 May 12

Gilbert Ratchett wrote:
Haven't OB got anything better to do like catching burgulars, rapists and murderers?
Try being the victim of an uninsured driver and we'll see how you value the police spending their time on catching them then shall we?

davyboy says...
6:30pm Sun 27 May 12

Gilbert Ratchett wrote:
Haven't OB got anything better to do like catching burgulars, rapists and murderers?
muppet. these are real crimes and real criminals. if your loved one gets injured by an uninsured driver, who do you claim compensation off? by law, insurance is now required for any vehicle, unless it is stated as off the road to the DVLA. it doesn't matter if you don't use it. if you are the registered keeper, then it must be insured. the DVLA are working with the motor insurers bureau to identify uninsured vehicles, those that are will incur fines without even being spotted on the road.

sdhgfhfuyt says...
7:40pm Sun 27 May 12

easy stats....

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