More than 1,500 driving offences are being committed every week along one of the county’s busiest roads.

This is according to a police operation on the A23 and M23 last week aimed at cracking down on common causes of accidents.

Between Monday and Sunday last week (jan17 to 23) police along with officers from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership and the Vehicle Operator Services Agency monitored the road between Pyecombe and Gatwick.

The aim of the operation was to flag up offences thought to be factors in collisions.

These included driving while using a mobile phone, not wearing seatbelts, driving without insurance, excess speed, driving without due care and attention, overweight goods vehicles, vehicles in a dangerous condition and goods vehicle drivers exceeding their driving hours.

More than 1,500 were detected throughout the week and 44 vehicles were taken off the road.

Sergeant Pete Verney of the Roads Policing Unit at Haywards Heath said: “In the last two years there have been five fatal collisions on this stretch of road with a further 25 resulting in serious injury.

"This is an unacceptable figure. We continue to receive complaints regarding driver behaviour on the A23 and M23 and hope that this operation helps reassure those who have taken the time to contact us with their concerns that we do listen and will take action.

"We will continue to mount these operations and target those individuals who chose to drive in an inappropriate or antisocial manner."