Approximately 100 motorists were stopped as part of a multi-agency road safety drive in Slough yesterday (2/8).
Slough PC Bob Wade, Road Safety Constable from the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, joined officers from the Roads Policing Department and Road Safety Officers from Slough Borough Council, to carry out the check on Farnham Road between 8.30am and 12.30pm. Also on hand at the check was the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
The aim was to check Slough drivers committing offences that have an adverse effect on road safety, such as not wearing a seatbelt or using a mobile phone, and to identify vehicles that appeared to be in need of an inspection to check their road-worthiness, and also to ensure that vehicle loads were legal.
Of the Slough vehicles stopped some were sent direct to VOSA and passed a vehicle inspection with no further action however forty people were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) of £60 for failing to wear a seatbelt. These individuals were offered the option of completing an online course. The course costs £25 and is paid online. If the driver is successful, the FPN is cancelled.
Fifteen Slough drivers were caught using their mobile phone and issued with a FPN of £60 and three penalty points on their licence. They were offered the chance to attend a Call Divert education course, in place of the fine and points. The course costs a little more than the FPN and is paid for by the driver. If completed successfully, the FPN, including the points, are cancelled. These courses can only be completed once in a three year period.
One vehicle was seized by officers as the driver had no insurance. The Slough drivers of these vehicles received a £200 FPN and six penalty points. In order to get the vehicle released, they must produce the correct documents to drive the vehicle and pay a £150 recovery bill plus any daily storage costs.
VOSA issued 17 prohibition notices for various Slough vehicle defects. Some of these were immediate prohibitions. An immediate prohibition notice requires a driver to rectify the fault before the vehicle can be driven any further. The remainder were given delayed notices allowing the driver to continue, on condition the defect is rectified within a certain time and a full MOT obtained before the prohibition on the vehicle is removed. The main faults found were defective tyres and excessive tints on window glass. Of the vehicles looked at, one was found to be overloaded and the driver given a caution.
Slough PC Bob Wade said: “We are still finding a lot of vehicles that have defects that and therefore drivers need to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and check them before use, not just for the MOT but all year round. Drivers who wish to flout the law regarding seat belts and the use of mobile phones have nobody to blame but themselves and need to be aware that they will be caught.”
Thames Valley Police ~ Slough
