Over 100 drivers facing potential driving bans for excess speeding on A12
Over 500 fines in total over a ten week period as part of Mayor’s Vision Zero policy
Over 500 drivers have received fines for excess speed along the A12 motorway, between the Bow and Redbridge roundabouts, and of those, over 100 drivers are facing potential driving bans for similar offences. The Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command is committed to the Mayor’s Vision Zero policy to eliminate deaths and serious injury from London’s roads by 2041. Consequently, its Roads Policing Teams are actively targeting motorists and riders along the A12 motorway who exceed the speed limit or commit other road traffic offences. While driving dangerously can occur in the day time, drivers on the A12 are often committing offences between the hours of 22:00hrs 02:00hrs.
In the last ten weeks, 520 drivers have been found travelling at excess speeds and have received fines. Of those drivers, 187 face potential disqualification due to their high speeds (either 66+mph in a 40mph limit or 76+mph in a 50mph limit). Six have been driving in excess of 100mph with a highest speed of 109mph. On the six-mile stretch, which takes in the boroughs of Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Hackney and Tower Hamlets, there have been five fatal road collisions between April 2018 and January 2019. In the previous 10 years there was one fatality. However, there have been no fatalities or serious collisions since the road enforcement under Operation Neso, which has specifically targeted the problem area. Motorists caught driving dangerously face very serious penalties which may include a mandatory 12 month ban, points on their licence and even time in jail. As part of Vision Zero, the Met has a priority of proactively targeting high-risk offenders - criminals on London's roads who can pose a significant risk to other road users in the course of committing crimes or driving offences and are frequently driving uninsured, unlicensed and at excess speeds. Also, uninsured drivers are five times more likely to be involved in a road collision and many are more likely to be involved in criminal activity. They also increase other drivers' insurance premiums. Detective Superintendent Andy Cox, Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “We are committed to identifying, targeting and removing the most dangerous drivers and riders from London's roads, as part of Vision Zero. “Roads Policing officers are targeting the route’s main hotspot to target drivers who show a total disregard for the law, driving at inappropriate speeds, driving while disqualified, attempting to evade police, and endangering the lives of other road users. “Motorists caught driving dangerously face very serious penalties, which may include heavy fines, their vehicles being seized or even time in jail. However, should they cause a collision, resulting in life-changing injury or a fatality, an even bigger penalty will be the guilt and shame they will experience for the rest of their lives. “Every road death or serious injury is devastating for everybody involved whether that be the victim the victim’s family and friends, and everybody associate with the driver – including the driver themselves. I have seen first-hand the trauma and devastation serious collisions cause for everybody involved. “Working alongside our partners, we will continue our efforts to deliver highly effective roads policing to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in collisions while also catching criminals who use London's roads - as the results from this operation show.” Siwan Hayward, Director of Compliance and Policing at Transport for London, said: “Dangerous driving destroys lives and that’s why we’re working in partnership with the Metropolitan Police to crack down on careless and illegal behaviour on our roads. As part of our joint Vision Zero commitment, the Roads Transport Policing Command has stepped up activity to reduce road danger on the A12 and caught more than 500 people speeding or driving recklessly. “We’re taking part in joint operations across London every day as part of our Vision Zero commitment to ensure that there are no deaths and serious injuries on London’s roads. Our message is clear, if you break the rules of the road you are not only risking your future, but the lives of other road users.”
