East Lancashire crackdown on speeders

9:00am Thursday 18th February 2010 in News Photograph of the Author By Jon Livesey, Reporter

MAJOR OPERATION: Police will be issuing on-the-spot fines to offenders MAJOR OPERATION: Police will be issuing on-the-spot fines to offenders

A MAJOR crackdown on speeding drivers and seatbelt flouters will take place in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale next week.

More than 30 police officers will take to the streets carrying out speed checks and speaking to motorists.

Officers will also be on the lookout for people who are not wearing a seatbelt and will issue on-the-spot fines to offenders.

Police will be particularly targeting ‘hot spot’ areas identified by concerned residents at community meetings.

By carrying out activities at different times of day, they hope to educate and snare as many motorists as possible.

The initiative is in response to an increase in the number of drivers and passengers being injured because they were not wearing a seatbelt.

Traders and community leaders welcomed the scheme which a number of them said could ‘save lives.’ Last year figures revealed that Lancashire Police has fined 7,902 motorists in a single year for a variety of seatbelt offences, including children under three not being strapped in at all, as well as car seats being fitted incorrectly.

The true extent of the problem was revealed in the Lancashire Telegraph’s Love Your Kids? Belt Them In campaign, which was launched in conjunction with the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety and Blackburn with Darwen Casualty Reduction team.

Chief Inspector Ian Sewart, who is in charge of road policing in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, said: “We have seen substantial reductions in road casualties for over 10 years.

"However, we have recently noticed an increase in injuries where drivers or passengers have not been wearing seatbelts.

“We will not tolerate drivers who put both themselves and others at risk.”

Starting on Monday, officers in Burnley will be using ‘speed guns’ to record how fast drivers are travelling.

Motorists who exceed the limit by a small amount will be spoken to about the dangers of speeding.

In some instances, officers will be accompanied by schoolchildren who will also speak to motorists.

People caught driving far in excess of the limit will be given fixed penalty notices.

Hot spot areas identified by residents include Trinity, Daneshouse with Stoneyholme, Rosehill with Burnley Wood, Briercliffe and Bank Hall wards.

Between April 2008 and April 2009, eight died and 108 were seriously injured in accidents in the three boroughs.

Since last April, 12 people have died as a result of accidents on the road and 94 have been seriously injured.

Arif Khan, who runs a newsagent’s shop in Briercliffe Road, welcomed the scheme.

He said: “In the evening young people drive quite fast past the shop. I’m pleased with the police initiative and I support them because it could save lives.”

Briercliffe Coun Margaret Lishman said: “I am pleased to see any initiatives of this kind because speeding drivers is one of the constant concerns we hear about from residents.”

Comments(20)

Mikeee47 says...
9:18am Thu 18 Feb 10

Thanx for the Warning LET, I'll give my full attention to my speed for the next 2 weeks, & make sure I'm wearing my seatbelt.
Especially while driving round Burnley.
No wonder I don't buy the Telegraph anymore. No News!
Why Oh why have you warned all the muppets who drive to excess?
Maybe the police asked you to do this because they couldn't cope with the volume of law flouters?

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Mikeee47 says...
9:27am Thu 18 Feb 10

Although I welcome the scheme, it would have been better to publish the figures of next weeks event.

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burnley lass says...
10:04am Thu 18 Feb 10

I am often left wondering about the mentality of the so called "powers that be". I should think it would be more successful NOT to imform motorists of this operation by the police. Everyone in the area is going to abide by the law for the next couple of weeks. What a waste of time, effort, and money this will be. But no doubt we will be imformed that it was a successful operation and be given some statistics to prove it.

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BurnleyBorn&Bred says...
10:49am Thu 18 Feb 10

if they are having a crack down on speeders why are the removing the roadside cameras the one outside Reedly court has gone,and this being one of the most sped on roads in the country if the press is to beleived, the one on Briercliffe rd has gone and possibly others and does this campaign include stopping folk who are driving along whilst using their mobile phones seems to be so many people doing this.

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BurnleyBorn&Bred says...
10:53am Thu 18 Feb 10

and while i am at it does Burnley have 30 police officers ?

because when you genuinley need one you cannot get one for love than money !!!!!!!!!!!

thought they only had 5 and 2 of them ride around on mountain bikes........

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Mikeee47 says...
12:50pm Thu 18 Feb 10

BurnleyBorn&Bred wrote:
if they are having a crack down on speeders why are the removing the roadside cameras the one outside Reedly court has gone,and this being one of the most sped on roads in the country if the press is to beleived, the one on Briercliffe rd has gone and possibly others and does this campaign include stopping folk who are driving along whilst using their mobile phones seems to be so many people doing this.
The sting in the tail is they are relocating the Cameras, They think because everyone and his dog knows the whereabouts of all spped cam' locations, someones' had a "Brain Faart" thinking the relocation of cams' will catch more speeders, although the real reason is if the accident back spot is clear after so many yrs the cams' have to go.

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BuckoTheMoose says...
1:37pm Thu 18 Feb 10

Oh Please! Another crackdown on "Seatbelt Flouters"? Funds must be running low again.
I wish 30 police officers would occasionally take to the streets and fight crime.
"Lancashire Police has fined 7,902 motorists in a single year " and I bet none of those actually did any harm to anyone.
If the Telegraph has done a campaign on this then I m sure they could provide us with some real statistics rather than just "increasing numbers" and "substantial reductions". Thats just junk.
And why will schoolchildren be talking to motorists? WTF do they know? How can someone who isnt even old enough to drive, advise a motorist on speed and seatbelts? That is just emotionalism.
And lastly - “In the evening young people drive quite fast past the shop". If they are driving fast, how does he know how old they are? Muppet.
Its high time the police stopped acting as a glorified tax collection service and started doing what they were created for - protecting society for actual, real life criminals.

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BuckoTheMoose says...
1:46pm Thu 18 Feb 10

That was a slip - I meant to finish that rant with "Protecting society FROM criminals, not FOR them. Oops.

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RAyzer says...
4:30pm Thu 18 Feb 10

makes your laugh OR CRY,30 officers will take place in this!!!they SHOULD be doing other PROPER work like chasing scum bag burglars,worlds gone mad!!!speeding kills,but 30 cops???cash cow motorists as per usual....no wonder confidence in the police is at zero!!!!!!!and itl be buisness as usual if you ring police station..."were to busy!!"

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RAyzer says...
4:32pm Thu 18 Feb 10

only country in the world were you can get a pizza quicker than a copper to call round!!!!!!!!!!!!mad
ness

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brossen99 says...
4:39pm Thu 18 Feb 10

All the most recent evidence suggests that road safety policy such as traffic calming, lower speed limits with speed cameras and cycle lanes have not reduced road casualties as formerly claimed by the government and police. In actual fact the police have been massively under reporting serious injuries in an attempt to justify their current policy, they claimed 26,000 when the NHS figures prove that the true figure is 40,000. Admittedly road deaths have come down, but perhaps this is due to better paramedic ambulance treatment, car design and things like the air ambulance. The injury figures have come down more recently by 2%, but perhaps the reduction in deaths and 2% injuries is due to the introduction of free bus passes for the elderly taking many potentially less competent old drivers off our roads.

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PwBburn says...
6:57pm Thu 18 Feb 10

The army tells the Taliban, we are coming to get you, so they leave a ton of road side bombs to kill our troops and then scarper, the police tell the speeding motorist where they will be next week, and a recent police raid for drugs in a Blackburn Pub were 60 police officers attended and no drugs were found!! its not been a good week and there is still Friday and Saturday to go!!

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phoebesgrandad says...
8:12pm Thu 18 Feb 10

When you've finished there can you nip over to Blackburn you'll make a fortune.

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Lancylad says...
2:26am Fri 19 Feb 10

Chief inspector Ian Stewart said

"However, we have recently noticed an increase in injuries where drivers or passengers have not been wearing seatbelts."

I wonder if he has also recently noticed an increase in injuries caused by inadequate salting of roads and pavements.

Methinks he should get down County Hall and start making some arrests.

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RAyzer says...
6:50am Fri 19 Feb 10

a grandma in burnley rings police up because theres 2 scum bags trying to get into her shed,1 hour 12 mins later,and THREE extra phone calls,the chuckle brothers turn up,and offer little help or assistance,the scum bag thieves were on the job 20 mins removing a strimmer,an 4 stone flags from back yard.....shows you there prioritys

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RAyzer says...
6:52am Fri 19 Feb 10

how many cops get fined for speeding????NONE!!!c
ant be that serious then...

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LeeShez says...
10:11am Fri 19 Feb 10

Thanks for the warning. I always wear my seat belt as my car beeps if i dont. I still see loads of people using there mobile phones.

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ponto52 says...
11:40am Fri 19 Feb 10

must be running short of funds.
lets go and get some out of the cash machine o i mean the motorist.
when u want the plod u can never find one.

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RAyzer says...
2:01pm Fri 19 Feb 10

ponto52 wrote:
must be running short of funds.
lets go and get some out of the cash machine o i mean the motorist.
when u want the plod u can never find one.
there labour puppets now,there totally controlled by labour,forget burglars and junkies as its not serious to labour,target the motorists for labours coffers...and for extra police cash,and there on about slashing cop numbers....PATHETIC this government and police force

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burger face says...
2:53pm Sun 21 Feb 10

leave us alone

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