Fifty-five arrests were made and hundreds of vehicles were seized by traffic enforcement officers during the latest operation cracking down on traffic and driving offences committed at collision hotspots in the capital.
Between 1-7 July, the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) carried out another phase of enforcement activity across 132 priority roads – roads which are the site of a disproportionately high number of collisions – across London.
Fifty five people were arrested on suspicion of a range of offences – possession of offensive weapon (nine weapons seized), theft, handling stolen goods, possession of class A and B drugs, drink and drug driving, and other driving offences.
More than 100 drivers were stopped for speeding and given breath tests, and 124 were stopped for using their mobile phone whilst behind the wheel.
A total of 221 vehicles were seized.
This was the latest phase of activity under Vision Zero, a plan devised in partnership with Transport for London aimed at deterring the most dangerous drivers through enforcement and high visibility roadside operations and patrols across the capital.
Detective Superintendent Andy Cox of the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “Everyone who uses the roads in the capital has a responsibility not to do anything that poses a risk to others, or to themselves.
“My officers have been out on some of London’s priority roads to ensure that they are as safe as possible, and to identify offences which pose a risk and take appropriate action.
“Enforcement activities like this are very effective, and we will continue to do them as part of our ongoing commitment to taking dangerous drivers off the roads, and reducing the numbers of collisions, and deaths and incidents which result in injury, on London’s road network.”
Mandy McGregor, Head of Transport Policing at TfL, said: “Operation Vision Zero is an important part of our work with the Metropolitan Police to keep people safe on London’s roads. We are stepping up our enforcement activity against drivers who speed, drive while on their mobile phone, drive unlicensed or uninsured or in unsafe vehicles.
“Last week saw hundreds of drivers fined, prosecuted, arrested or having their vehicles seized for traffic offences. Breaking the rules of the road creates risk and there are consequences for those that do.”
+ The Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command is committed to the Mayor’s Vision Zero policy to eliminate deaths and serious injury from London’s roads by 2041. The Vision Zero action plan can be found here: content.tfl.gov.uk/vision-zero-action-plan.pdf
