Police have been continuing Operation Wightwash this week – an intensified roads policing enforcement operation targeting dangerous driving behaviours on the Isle of Wight’s roads.
Op Wightwash was conducted over the course of Wednesday 13th September and Thursday 14th September and saw the mainland-based Eastern Roads Policing Unit (RPU) pay a visit to the Island, with support from officers from Havant RPU, Isle of Wight RPU, and the Isle of Wight’s dual skilled Roads Policing/Armed Response Vehicle team (RP/ARV).
This operation has been stood up in recent years to bolster efforts in intercepting drivers committing offences on Isle of Wight roads and is run at regular intervals throughout the year.
Officers dealt with almost 100 drivers for a range of offences over the course of the 2 days. Some of the offences dealt with included driving without insurance, driving whilst using a mobile phone, driving without a seatbelt, contravening red lights, driving without a licence, and driving with an insecure load.
Vehicles were also stopped for number plate, exhaust, visor and tinted window offences which on some occasions led to officers identifying further offending including drug driving and driving without insurance.
In total, 93 offences were dealt with by fixed penalty notice, with a total of 4 vehicles being seized for having no insurance – like this VW Lupo below – or no licence, and 2 drivers were arrested on suspicion of drug driving.
Road safety issues are regularly brought to the attention of Police on the Isle of Wight, and are clearly of concern to Island residents.
Police activity has a particular focus on stopping drivers who display the ‘fatal four’ behaviours – these are the 4 poor driving habits that pose the greatest risk of leading to a serious or fatal collision, and include drink/drug driving, driving without a seatbelt, speeding, and mobile phone use whilst driving.
Chief Inspector Alex Charge said:
“We know the public are concerned about driving standards on the Island, so officers are proactively targeting offenders on the road to ensure responsible motorists can be safe and feel safe behind the wheel.
“In addition to enforcement work, we are actively tracking which areas are most affected by driving offences, and are working with road safety partners to address matters on the road network.
“Teams on the Island are all pulling together to make this possible, with combined efforts from RPU, the dual skilled RP/ARV team, as well as Neighbourhoods teams and District Policing Teams collectively working together to address these issues more broadly and as a priority under Operation Mile.
“We continue to encourage members of the public to report driving offences, and concerns around driving standards, to police so we can identify any hotspots and take action to keep road users safer.”
That Lupo has been driven for months without MOT and insurance
That is because on the island they allow vehicles to drive around with NO MOT
or park along Island Roads.
EVEN IF YOU REORT THEM TO THE LOCAL DISTRICT STEWARD OR ISLAND ROADS
Nothing gets done about it, no one cares.
The island is run by Numpties
There was a Berlingo that was being used on a daily basis
and was parked in Great Preston Road Ryde with
No Mot for 7 months
My Father did contact Island Roads, the local Ryde District Steward and DVLA
nothing got done about it.
Believe me, there is no law and order on Island Roads.
Look at all the persons who jump red lights and break the speed limit on the Island.
maybe he should have contacted the police ?.
But what about the 4*22 crew? Clearly a dangerous organized crime gang trying to downplay themselves as a low level street gang, they must have been on some high quality jenkem to consider doing that.
Oh haven’t you got something better to do than bug motorists. Go fine the cyclists or the antisocial young people.
What a ridiculous comment, rules are rules and uninsured vehicles that have accidents cost those with insurance a huge amount (in both claims and increased premiums).
Islander is probably one of those without tax and insurance and doesn’t know what indicators are for!! Inbreeding at its best!
Operation Wightwash. Yer to hide the fact that the Tories removing the roads policing on the island has caused a pandemic of lawlessness on the roads. They should be here all year round.
Almost 100 in two days! Imagine how many would be charged if we had proper policing of the roads like this for a month or two. The island roads are like Mad Max at night and it is no surprise that there are so many accidents.
No Law on the Island when it comes to speeding
Should do it every day island drivers are a law in themselves Most are on drugs or drink.
100 drivers in just 2 days well it is the isle of Wight
2% of offences involves substances, I see statistics and numbers are not your strong point.
Well done!! Nice to see Policing of the Island roads not fixated on speeding for a change. There are a lot of dodgy cars & drivers out there and its pleasing to see the Police concentrate on them to make this Island safer. Once again Well Done!
Why don’t Plod park in West Street Brading and when all the law breakers
who illegally turn into this NO Right Turn Street
Fine them and give them points.
The No Right Turn refers to the right turn into the Mall, not West Street.
It’s a good cut and saves petrol rather than driving all the way around…
Rules are rules
Rules don’t exist on the Island.
Police need to have a mobile camera on carisbrooke road in the evenings. Seen bikes and cars doing stupid speeds along there.
They use pyle st traffic lights as a start line on to carisbrooke road between 6-11pm
Saw one bike (125cc on a L plate) over take a car doing 30mph on the Mall narrowly missing a lorry. Talk about a death wish. All this in September.
It’s time they cracked down on illegal number plates made to look personalised as In DB IOW JB
Saw one sad old loser get out and swap his legal plate for an illegal “IOW” one at some traffic lights. The pathetic old grunter had just got it MOT’d and couldn’t wait to get home before signalling to the rest of the world what an utter saddo he is.
What a weirdo.
Please please please come to Havenstreet (we can supply a map reference and the Haribos).This rat run will give you enough work for days with speeding vehicles at all hours.
Haribos..yay…we are the police.
Especially on a Friday night when all the chavsters have some pocket money & do their racing, utter contempt for these brainless morons.
But still many of the the tractors going to the biomass plants have insecure loads, none of them are covered, driving without breaks. No number plates, and defective lights. Also lots of over width, and over weight vehicles travelling along restricted roads.
Engineering Companies and even ISLAND ROADS
Commit traffic offences on a daily basis
I have seen many of these idiots driving along with a trailer attached on the
back of their vehicle showing a different number plate.
Just proves that Island Roads and many other Companies are being run by lawless Idiots.
Can anyone explain why Subaru drivers are exempt from these misdemeanours ? I’ve often wondered.
Good work! Defo needed… Island driving is shocking
Driving along Beaper Shute this evening and some idiot went
whizzing past at what I would estimate 80mph+
The vibration shook my vehicle when overtaking.
There is no Traffic Law on the island, until speed cameras are rolled out
Islandwide this nonsense will not stop.
Motorists know the roads are lawless
Need to look out for a Pink Honda car E9 LCO nearly ran us off the road.
There is NO LAW AND ORDER ON THE ISLAND
Vehicles park on Pavements and Double yellow lines and nothing gets done about it.
The Island does not have the capabilities of stopping the Offenders
Tow trucks are what is required on this Lawlless Island, they should be
deployed islandwide and Tow such vehicles away commiting an offence.
IW Council could make thousands of pounds on a daily basis if they sent out
Civil Enforcement Officers down many Island Roads to book such vehicles.
It would also create employment for more persons.
A win win situation for all, except the offending vehicles.
Check how many builders trucks and Van’s etc are being driven with
NO MOT
Builders also think they can just rock up and park their pieces of sh*t anywhere
IS THERE NO LAW ON THE ISLAND FOR BUILDERS ?, Makes one wonder.
When the main land traffic units come over why don’t they also bring DVLA and VOSA over and do a multi agency enforcement?
Great idea.
DVLA are useless, some months ago my Father reported a vehicle parked nr his property
for months with NO Mot and they done nothing about it.
It seems any organisation run by the Government are fcuking useless.
That orange piece of crap that keeps driving along Ryde Esplanane banging like a gun going off. No way is that insured for that kind of driving. No insurance company would cover it for that kind of driving, or for making that kind of noise. So clearly can’t be legally insured