Drivers using mobile phones, and more – Roads Policing Unit stop 26 drivers during day of action

If you noticed earlier this week that many Police, Police cars and Police bikes were stopping drivers in and around Marlborough, this is probably the reason why.

A total of 26 drivers were caught using their mobile phones whilst driving during ‘Project Zero’ patrols.

Project Zero is a roads policing operation held every Wednesday at a different location in the county. This week it was the turn of Devizes and Marlborough.

It sees officers targeting drivers committing any of the fatal five offences in a bid to reduce the number of casualties on Wiltshire roads.

While this is very much everyday work for the Roads Policing Unit officers, the project sees the department intensify resources to target those who are driving at excess speed, drink/drug driving, using a phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt or driving in a careless or dangerous manner.

On Wednesday (1st March), officers from the Roads Policing Unit and associated partners including speed enforcement officers and road safety officers dealt with a total of 119 drivers for multiple driving offences despite the wet weather. This included 73 drivers caught exceeding the speed limits with the highest offender caught in Rowde driving at 50mph in a 30mph speed limit.

Acting Inspector Will Ayres said: “This week, the team were particularly focussed on people committing mobile phone offences and rather disappointingly, twenty six drivers were caught using their mobile phones whilst driving. This included car drivers, HGV drivers and even a qualified driving instructor offering instruction to a learner driver whilst using a mobile phone. It is always frustrating to see people continuing to use phones whilst at the wheel of any vehicle – when you are using a phone you are not giving the road your full attention it requires and are more likely to be involved in a serious collision.”

One mobile phone user in Marlborough was also arrested on suspicion of drug driving after failing a roadside drug wipe.

A total of 15 Fixed Penalty Tickets were issued for non endorsable offences that were mainly seatbelt related, and a further five endorsable offences were identified other than mobile phone offences.