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PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 17:47 
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Location: Windermere
http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/8819103.Over_400_unfit_vehicles_seized_from_Cumbria_s_roads/

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Over 400 unfit vehicles seized from Cumbria's roads

Officers from Cumbria Constabulary’s Roads Policing Unit and Neighbourhood Policing Teams have seized over 400 unfit vehicles from the county’s roads over the last 12 months.

A total of 433 vehicles have been seized from Cumbria’s roads over the last year which means that on average, 36 were uplifted every month. This is a result of a proactive effort by police around the county to target uninsured, unfit vehicles in a bid to make road networks safer.

It follows research conducted by the Department for Transport in April 2009 which estimates that uninsured and untraced drivers kill 160 people and injure a further 23,000 every year on the UK’s road networks. Police officers have a legal power under the road traffic act to seize any vehicle which is uninsured, or where the driver has an unsuitable licence.

Inspector Andy Wilkinson from Cumbria's Roads Policing Unit said: "Reducing collisions and denying criminals the use of our county’s roads are priorities for Cumbria Constabulary.

“As well as the criminal consequences of driving while uninsured or without a licence, irresponsible drivers commonly cause collisions which means that all road users are put in danger.

“To tackle this issue, officers around the county conduct routine patrols of our roads with the intention of stopping illegal motorists in their tracks to make the lives of law abiding road users safer. The purpose of seizing vehicles is to remove illegal, and in the majority of instances unroadworthy, vehicles from our roads."

In addition to facing criminal prosecution, owners and drivers of vehicles that are seized have to pay costs to have their vehicle stored and then recovered. If vehicles are no recovered by their owners, they are destroyed.

Inspector Wilkinson added: “The busiest month for seizing vehicles was in May 2010 when 49 were recovered. Targeting irresponsible drivers and seizing unroadworthy vehicles will remain a main focus for the team in 2011.”

Anyone with information about the illegal use of vehicles, uninsured or unlicensed drivers, should contact Cumbria Police on 0845 33 00 247. For further information, visit: askMID.com/police


Given Cumbria's rural nature, I would guess the problem is higher in densely populated towns and cities.
Around Windermere, most dodgy drivers soon become obvious and are well known.

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 05:32 
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A driver maybe irresponsible but it is inattention / distraction that is the prime cause of accidents.
It is irresponsible to drive when you do not have sufficient skills to drive competently or when it might be illegal.

It is good to see that Police presence was able to deal with a number of issues immediately, successfully and hopefully proportionately, and not just to meet some target!
To have pulled so many cars in a short period, does sound good, as we need a good basic standard of vehicles on the road, but I am a little cautious. A few more details about the vehicles would be nice.

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