North Yorkshire Police have launched a major roads policing operation in a bid to prevent anyone being killed on the roads this bank holiday weekend.
Officers say we have the ‘perfect storm’ for serious collisions, with a huge surge in traffic due to fairer weather, the long weekend, the easing of some lockdown rules and motorists’ skills going ‘rusty’ during lockdown.
Motorists may have noticed a strong police presence as extra traffic units were deployed to key areas, including villages and rural routes.
The operation used marked police cars and motorbikes and highly-visible safety camera vehicles will cover as many locations as possible. Unmarked police vehicles will also be used.
It comes amid concerns from residents in many North Yorkshire villages about speeding drivers and motorcyclists making their communities unsafe.
Police will be actively enforcing all motoring offences, including:
- Speeding, especially in villages and on A-roads that are typically affected by a large volume of speeding vehicles
- Drink and drug driving
- Dangerous driving or riding, such as overtaking on double white lines
- Vehicle defects or illegal/uninsured modifications. This will include illegal number plates and exhausts, which will now be tested at the roadside with official equipment to ensure they are within legal noise levels
- Document offences, such as not having insurance, tax or the correct driving licence
- Perverting the course of justice offences, when motorists obscure or re-angle their rear numberplate to try to avoid detection. This can carry a prison sentence.
Police will use a range of powers to enforce the law, including traffic offence reports, vehicle seizures and vehicle prohibition notices, which mean a defective or illegally-modified vehicle cannot be used until it is approved by a qualified mechanic.
Over the Easter weekend, a number of officers were patrolling near the Ribblehead viaduct, with a base at White Scar Caves carpark. They used a number of patrolling marked, unmarked vehicles, motorbikes to patrol the area that is popular with bikers.
Traffic Constable, Jamie Lord, motorcycle coordinator, Roads Policing:
This is a force-wide operation, with the aim of reducing KSI’s, that’s killed or seriously injured on the roads.
We are asking motor bikers that pass to pull in and, if they are happy to do so, we are talking to them about BikeSafe, a police run initiative. That’s about passing on skills and signposting them onto other courses. The idea is that if we can impart more education onto the riders they will get more from their ride.
The bike will feel better and they will feel a lot more skilful as they are riding.
See North Yorkshire Police – BikeSafe
Day courses cost £65, but there is a waiting list.
