The Met continues to tackle London’s motorists who drive too fast – one of the biggest causes of road traffic collisions in the Capital.
Between Monday, 1 April and Sunday, 7 April, officers from the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC), in partnership with Transport for London (TfL), will be targeting irresponsible and dangerous motorists committing excess speed offences.
The activity, which is part of the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL) national campaign, will see officers being deployed to road danger hot spots across London. Here, they will use speed detection equipment and conduct patrols of these areas.
In addition, road safety advice and information will be provided to the public, informing them of the risks – both to themselves and to other road users – of driving over speed limits.
Officers will also be joined by Community Roadwatch volunteers who will be carrying out both education and enforcement activity throughout the week.
Community Roadwatch works in partnership with the Met, TfL, and the City of London Police, to give residents the opportunity to work with their local policing teams to deter speeding on their roads, improve road safety in local neighbourhoods, and involve members of the public in issues that they feel directly affect them.
Drivers and riders who are travelling at inappropriate speeds are more likely to have a collision and higher speed results in more severe injury to themselves and/or to other road users. Inappropriate speed also magnifies other driver errors, such as driving too close or driving when tired or distracted, multiplying the chances of these types of driving causing a collision.
Those caught driving dangerously face very serious penalties which may include a mandatory 12 month ban, points on their licence and even time in jail.
Detective Superintendent Andy Cox, Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “Throughout this week of action and beyond, our Roads Policing Teams will be actively targeting motorists who exceed the speed limit, or commit other road traffic offences, and we will take appropriate action against them.
“Exceeding the speed limit is dangerous and a serious offence under the Road Traffic Act. People who do so are not properly in control of their vehicle and are more likely to be involved in a collision.
“Every road death or serious injury is devastating for the victim’s family and friends. Through education and enforcement we must remind all road users of the importance of keeping themselves and others safe when on London’s roads.”
Our ongoing policing to tackle speeding and dangerous driving is in support of The Mayor and Transport for London’s ‘Vision Zero’ action plan, which aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from London’s transport network by 2041.
As part of this approach, the RTPC has ramped up activity to deter and deal with dangerous driving on London’s roads. This joint work between the Met and TfL is to deliver and sustain improvement in speed enforcement, focusing on the most dangerous drivers and offences that put road users at risk.
Siwan Hayward, Director of Compliance and Policing at TfL, said: “Breaking the speed limit is criminal and dangerous. Speed is a factor in more than a third of all fatal and serious injury collisions. It has devastating consequences, which is why we are working with the police to crack down on the drivers who put themselves and others at risk. Our message is clear – slow down. Speeding is not worth the risk.”
Drivers or riders who believe they have witnessed a traffic offence and have recorded this with a dash camera, can visit the following link where the driving clip can be uploaded: https://www.met.police.uk/ro/report/rti/report-a-road-traffic-incident/
The Met will consider prosecuting any driver where the video evidence clearly highlights an offence under the Road Traffic Act.
Information can also be given anonymously through the Crimestoppers website https://crimestoppers-uk.org or by ringing 0800 555 111.
