Safe Speed Forums

Public praised for helping police
Jan 6 2012 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

COPS in Perthshire and neighbouring areas rounded off a festive blitz by arresting 11 drink or drug-influenced drivers.

The cross-county toll for the final week of a month-long clampdown took the number of offenders stopped by Tayside Police over the period to 43 – with officers greatly assisted by tip-offs from members of the public.

Assistant Chief Constable Angela Wilson said: “Praise must be given to the Tayside public for their excellent support of the campaign.

“Throughout the four weeks, their contribution through calls to the police has resulted in a significant number of detections for drink or drug driving and I thank them for their efforts in making the roads of Tayside safer.
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“To those who are still willing to take the gamble with their own lives and the lives of other road users, I say that we will do all in our power to bring you to justice and remove you from our roads.”

Worryingly, of the drivers detected, 16% were involved in road traffic collisions.
Half of those caught were pulled over by police as a result of being stopped by police for a variety of reasons, such as their manner of driving, minor vehicle defects or failure to wear a seat belt.
This year’s festive campaign saw police equipped with stronger powers to take vehicles from motorists who had consumed very high levels of alcohol and were found to be three times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
That led to three vehicles being seized and two more forfeited.

Chief Inspector Sandy Bowman, Head of Road Policing in Tayside, said: “The message we have promoted has been consistent.
“If you need to drive, do not take drink or drugs. We have found there are still too many drivers prepared to take a chance, risking the lives of others and themselves.
“That is unacceptable. However, we have been reassured by the level of support that we have received from local communities.
“With their help we have made certain that 43 people who were prepared to take that chance will be held to account for their actions.
“It is very clear to us that the vast majority of people living within our communities consider the behaviour of these individuals to be intolerable and abhorrent.
“I thank them for their continued assistance and support. This particular campaign has ended, but our efforts will continue throughout the year and I encourage the public to continue providing the same level of support.
“By doing so, we can place these reckless individuals before the court at the earliest opportunity.”

Tayside Police and their partners have also targeted a series of other motoring offences over the past four weeks.
Cops caught 570 speeding drivers, with 678 being detected by the Tayside Safety Camera Partnership.
Meanwhile, 245 people were reported for not wearing a seatbelt and 168 for using a mobile phone and driving.
A total of 52 cars were seized for being driven without a driving licence or insurance.