Roads policing officers arrest 159 drink and drug drivers during operation

Last month, our Roads Policing Unit (RPU) officers arrested a total of 285 people.

That figure included 101 drink drivers and 58 drug drivers as a result of a pro-active national road safety. 

Throughout the road safety operation, our officers worked alongside partners to highlight poor driving standards, educate drivers and enforce the law.

Officers dealt with a variety of offences as they identified drivers flouting the law and whose driving posed a threat to the safety of other road users, issuing a total of 1,228 traffic offence reports.

Between 1-30 April they dealt with 140 mobile phone offences and 200 drivers not wearing seat belts: they prosecuted 313 drivers in connection with careless driving offences and seized 339 vehicles for no insurance.

Road safety is a force priority, and we will continue to work with partners to highlight road safety issues and educate drivers with road safety messaging.

Our Safer Essex Roads Partnership colleagues received 503 Extra Eyes submissions where the public upload dash cam footage so that we can review poor and dangerous driving incidents and take appropriate action.

We’re also supported by Community Speedwatch, volunteers concerned about the effect of speeding in their community, and who report motorists who are driving through villages in excess of the speed limit.

In just one month 1,001 drivers received warning letters about their conduct as a result of their work.

We want everyone to be a responsible driver, so we’re asking all drivers to reflect on their driving decisions and where necessary, to make some positive changes that could in the long run, lead to better road safety for all.

Last year, 41 people died on roads in Essex.

Essex Police are part of the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP) and fully support Vision Zero, our ambition to have zero road deaths in Essex by 2040 or sooner.

Help us reduce road collisions and casualties in Essex and make our roads even safer. Report instances of poor and dangerous driving through Safer Essex Roads Partnership's Extra Eyes initiative.

More than ever, irresponsible, dangerous and illegal road behaviour is being recorded by road users. Through Extra Eyes this footage can be sent to, and reviewed by, an investigator within Road Policing at Essex Police.

Find out how by visiting Safer Essex Roads Partnership website.