A new roads policing task force, targeting the worst drivers and most dangerous roads, has been launched by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary.
The force has announced the establishment of a new roads policing Tasking Team, created to prioritise apprehending motorists committing the Fatal Five – the 5 offences which cause the most deaths and serious, life-changing injuries on our roads.
The force recently announced its move to Fatal Five, in line with many other police forces across the country, by adding ‘careless or inconsiderate driving’ to the existing Fatal Four of speeding, impairment (drink or drugs), distraction (including mobile phones) and not wearing a seatbelt.
The Tasking Team will also be proactively running operations at serious collision ‘hotspots’ across the counties, and they can be deployed to help other areas of the force target criminal use of vehicles.
Sergeant Stephen Phillips, who will be leading the team, has said:
“Too many lives have been shattered by dangerous and careless drivers.
“If you are speeding, drink or drug driving, using your phone behind the wheel, or putting lives at risk with your careless or inconsiderate driving, understand this: we will find you, and we will stop you.
“Our new team is built to proactively and relentlessly target the worst driver behaviours in the most at-risk locations, and we will not hesitate to take dangerous drivers off the road.
Article continues below this advertisement “People in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight deserve to feel safe on their roads. That’s why this team will focus on the highest‑harm offenders and the hotspots where the worst collisions happen.
“We could be anywhere in unmarked cars, so don’t take the risk. We will not stand by while reckless choices cost lives. If you endanger others, expect to see us.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has added:
“One death on our roads is one too many. Younger and older drivers are particularly at risk, and careless driving is a common cause of incidents leading to death or serious injury.
“Tackling dangerous drivers on our roads is a constant challenge for our Roads Policing Unit, but the addition of this new Tasking Team and the Fatal Five approach will both play an important role in safer roads across our region.
“The actions of one person behind the wheel can have a devastating impact in a split second, which is why I am focused on making the roads across our two counties safer with more investment to support proactive roads policing.”
Great in theory, but we all know it will amount to the Police catching even more Islanders doing 31 in a 30 and ignoring the real bad drivers! Oh they are out there for sure, but they are rarely caught!
And the rest, majority of island drivers do 31mph
when reversing
Numpties
Perhaos they could also remind Island drivers, the the two-lane road between coppins bridge and St Marys is a Dual Carriageway, and until the lanes are signed and marked otherwise, should be treated as such…
Highway Code Rule 137
“On a two-lane dual carriageway you should stay in the left-hand lane. Use the right-hand lane for overtaking .. After overtaking, move back to the left-hand lane”
Unlike a hell of a lot if drivers, who get into the outside lane just after, or even before they leave Coppins Bridge, ‘cos they’re going to turn right into the hospital, half a mile. & three sets of traffic lights, later,.. & then drive @ 30mph in a 70 limit !!!
“When turning right on a dual carriageway, you should move into the right-hand lane in advance of your turn, .. as soon as you see advanced signage or lane markers indicating the junction”
On Medina Way (north), the ‘advanced signage for the right turn to Dodnor is just before the 40mph limit signs.. and the advanced signage for the right turn to the Hospital, is after the Dodnor Lane / Hunnyhill tracfic lights. not at f’ing Coppins Bridge!!!!
Road layouts etc need modernising on the island
also decent cameras to monitor bad driving habits.
God, you really are an insufferable know it all, aren’t you? With your endless knowledge, I’m surprised you have the time to comment on such a lowly site
No,
I just know the highway code, and the rules of the road, just as every driver should…
I presume, from your obvious offence at my comment, that you are one of the drivers who don’t know how to use a dual carriageway.
(it’s not difficult to understand,.. really)
I’m sorry if you find intelegence and knowledge tiresome,..
(perhaps you should try it…. or then again,.. perhaps not)
Spot on!
Great to see. Good luck catching the law breakers.
If I had a pound everytime I looked in my rear view
mirror and noticed the driver behind looking at
their phones, I would be a Millionaire.
Obviously these motorists wouldn’t do it
if the police were in front of them.
Unmarked vehicles would catch many more
law breakers, but too be honest anything is
better than nothing.
The amount of wankers i see still on their phones while driving..if caught car should be immediately crushed..and a large fine..at least a £1000..oh and 12 points..
Hence the need for decent cameras to catch the numpties.
Well said. Trouble is that this country is too soft.
Perowne way in sandown and the fairway would be a good start,drivers in the traffic outside tesco seems it’s ok to be texting or scrolling on there phone
I must admit I do worry that someone might crash into me while distracted on their phone, it’s the innocent people that get caught up in this. Also hope they get some of these speeding numptys in these chav modified ridiculous cars, might as well have a sign on their head ( brainless chav)
How much of this resource will every reach the Island, I wonder? We have no motorway, no major transport infrastructure to police, just ordinary roads so I doubt we shall come very high on the deployment list for the new Tasking Team
What’s more of a concern on the island is the unnecessary and unsafe speed limits on rural roads and back lanes. The Police should be engaging with the IOW council and highways team to lower the speed limits. I have lost count in the past few months alone of the number of road closures due to bad road traffic collisions or worse a fatality. The aim by both the Council & Police should be more a “Vision Zero” towards fatalities on the islands roads and zero serious injury road traffic collisions by reducing all (A) roads to 50mph, (B) roads to 40/30mph, all rural lanes to 30/20mph with Ryde/Newport Town Centers and outside Schools 20mph. We are on an island for crying out loud, where are you going that you need you be there like yesterday.
As long as they DO monitor accident blackspots and not just sit and pray on easy targets to fine speeders. The crossroads at Betty Haunt Lane and Forest Road is horribly dangerous and I’ve NEVER seen a police presence there, yet they find the time to sit along Horsebridge Hill!