Hundreds of 'fatal four' dangerous driving offences committed in July
The "fatal four" offences are speeding, drink and drug driving, mobile phone use and failing to wear a seatbelt, with the latest statistics on each revealed.
Across July in the Thames Valley, police arrested 163 people for drink driving and 165 for drug driving, totalling 328 arrests.
READ MORE: Woman who died in three-vehicle A44 Cotswolds crash named
The force issued 690 tickets, 337 for speeding offences, 76 tickets for being on a mobile phone while driving and 277 tickets to people not wearing their seatbelts.
Detective chief inspector Justin Thomas, head of the roads policing unit for Thames Valley said: "The figures during last months' operation are tragically clear.
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/
As a digital subscriber you will get:
Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website
Advert-light access
Reader rewards
Full access to our app
"These fatal four offences ruin lives every year and they are avoidable.
"If you commit any of these offences, you are increasing the likelihood of killing or seriously injuring not only yourself but others.
"We want everyone to be safe on our roads, please think twice and remind others to do the same, call them out."
READ MORE: 16-year-old boy missing from Oxford spotted in Birmingham
Thames Valley Police shared the latest statistics as part of Operation Spotlight which is aiming to reduce injury and deaths on the roads.
In Oxfordshire, dangerous driving kills multiple people every year.
Recently, Barry Archer, a lorry driver, was sentenced to six years in prison after causing the death of milkman Tom Glancy by dangerous driving on the A420 between Buckland and Pusey in 2020.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who is social media vigilante Cycling Mikey?
A cycling activist has stated that he was unable to prevent his electric bike from swerving into the path of a car that was passing a no-entry sign. A motorist struck Michael van Erp's bike on Sunday while he was pushing it onto a west London road, according to a video he uploaded to his Cycling Mikey YouTube account. Mr van Erp said on social media site X on Tuesday that he 'couldn't… brake a 28kg e-bike once I realised the driver wasn't stopping.' In the YouTube video, the 52-year-old activist first prevents the vehicle from passing under a no-entry sign that was put up at a junction due to road construction. The male driver makes a gesture to Mr van Erp, then shifts into reverse to let cars going in the other direction pass, then resumes driving. Once again, the cyclist tries to block him, but the driver hits his bike and leaves. Although Mr van Erp's possessions were strewn all over the road, it seems he was unharmed and his bike was spared significant harm. According to a Metropolitan Police spokesperson, 'We are aware of footage circulating on social media which appears to show an incident on Paddenswick Road, Hammersmith on Sunday August 10. No arrests have been made at this stage. 'We urge victims of crime to contact the police by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.' But who exactly is Michael van Erp, better known as Cycling Mikey? Who is Cycling Mikey? Cycling Mikey, whose real name is Michael van Erp, is a Dutch-born road safety campaigner and YouTube content creator based in London. Cycling Mikey, whose Youtube account has over 119,000 followers, frequently records drivers he says are violating traffic laws, such using a mobile phone while driving. He then reports these incidents to the police and shares compelling footage on YouTube. Since 2019, he claims to have reported 2,280 drivers, who have been hit with 2,649 penalty points and fines totalling £165,700. He says that his actions have resulted in the disqualification of 35 individuals from driving. His footage has captured public figures like Guy Ritchie and Chris Eubank committing infractions—but who he is remains unknown to him during filming. His personal drive stems from a tragic past: his father was killed by a drunk driver when he was 19. Often dubbed a 'vigilante cyclist' a label he disputes—he insists he is simply collecting evidence for the justice system. He regularly positions himself at hotspots like 'Gandalf Corner' near Regent's Park to catch offenders. While some hail him as a deterrent to dangerous driving, others criticise his confrontational methods However, even Cycling Mickey makes mistakes. His own camera captured him running a red light in April 2024; he publicly acknowledged the incident and stated that he was prepared to accept any repercussions. Has he really been banned from reporting to the police? According to social media speculations, the Met Police have 'ghosted' or blocked him, which means that his submissions might now be disregarded or denied. However, the Met has neither confirmed nor denied any such action, and the assertion is not supported by any official statement. In fact, Cycling Mikey himself discussed his encounters with the police during an interview on Fubar Radio. According to him, even though he mostly uses the reporting system online and rarely speaks with officers in person, he feels that the police are "on his side, generally" and generally support the need for traffic enforcement.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Epping Council goes to High Court in bid to remove migrants from asylum hotel
Epping Forest District Councill has applied for an interim High Court injunction in a bid to stop asylum seekers from being housed at a local hotel. Documents relating to the Bell Hotel in Epping were lodged with the High Court in London on Tuesday, the council said in a statement. A series of protests have been held outside the hotel in recent weeks, after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, denies sexual assault and is due to stand trial this month. Council leader Chris Whitbread said the use of the hotel as asylum accommodation risks causing 'irreparable harm to the local community'. The council had unanimously voted last month to urge the Government 'to immediately and permanently close' the hotel 'for the purposes of asylum processing'. The Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst, had also reportedly called on the Home Secretary to review the use of the hotel for housing asylum seekers. In a statement, Mr Whitbread said: 'The current situation cannot go on. If the Bell Hotel was a nightclub, we could have closed it down long ago. 'So far as the council is aware, there is no criminal record checking of individuals who might only have been in the country a matter of days before being housed at the hotel. 'There are five schools and a residential care home within the vicinity of the hotel. The use by the Home Office of the premises for asylum seekers poses a clear risk of further escalating community tensions already at a high, and the risk of irreparable harm to the local community. 'This will only increase with the start of the new school year. We are frustrated that the Home Office continues not to listen.' He continued: 'In our view, placing asylum seekers in the Bell Hotel is a clear breach of planning permission. It is not in use as a hotel, and it doesn't function as a hotel. 'The establishment of a centre to accommodate asylum seekers in this particular location, in close proximity to five schools, a residential care home, and the shops and amenities of the market town of Epping, is not appropriate in planning terms.' Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch claimed women in the area have 'stopped jogging in the park because there are men lurking in bushes', because of concerns about the hotel. Following a visit to Epping on Monday, Mrs Badenoch told reporters: 'The people who I spoke to are having a lot of concerns about safety. Mothers told me that they're worried about their daughters going to school. They're getting harassed. They stopped jogging in the park because there are men lurking in bushes. 'Communities shouldn't have to be paying for this. And what I saw in Epping really, really upset me. I can see why many of those people are protesting.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Essex council in High Court bid to stop asylum seekers being housed at hotel
An Essex council has applied for an interim High Court injunction in a bid to stop asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel. Documents relating to the Bell Hotel in Epping were lodged with the High Court in London on Tuesday, Epping Forest District Council said in a statement. A series of protests have been held outside the hotel in recent weeks, after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, denies sexual assault and is due to stand trial this month. Council leader Chris Whitbread said the use of the hotel as asylum accommodation risks causing 'irreparable harm to the local community'. The council had unanimously voted last month to urge the Government 'to immediately and permanently close' the hotel 'for the purposes of asylum processing'. The Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst, had also reportedly called on the Home Secretary to review the use of the hotel for housing asylum seekers. Read more 'Tinderbox': Charity boss says migrant hotels must stop after Epping violence Two more men charged following violent disorder at Epping migrant hotel Political leaders in Essex urge Home Secretary to close Epping 'migrant hotel' In a statement, Mr Whitbread said: 'The current situation cannot go on. If the Bell Hotel was a nightclub, we could have closed it down long ago. 'So far as the council is aware, there is no criminal record checking of individuals who might only have been in the country a matter of days before being housed at the hotel. 'There are five schools and a residential care home within the vicinity of the hotel. The use by the Home Office of the premises for asylum seekers poses a clear risk of further escalating community tensions already at a high, and the risk of irreparable harm to the local community. 'This will only increase with the start of the new school year. We are frustrated that the Home Office continues not to listen.' He continued: 'In our view, placing asylum seekers in the Bell Hotel is a clear breach of planning permission. It is not in use as a hotel, and it doesn't function as a hotel. 'The establishment of a centre to accommodate asylum seekers in this particular location, in close proximity to five schools, a residential care home, and the shops and amenities of the market town of Epping, is not appropriate in planning terms.' Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch claimed women in the area have 'stopped jogging in the park because there are men lurking in bushes', because of concerns about the hotel. Following a visit to Epping on Monday, Mrs Badenoch told reporters: 'The people who I spoke to are having a lot of concerns about safety. Mothers told me that they're worried about their daughters going to school. They're getting harassed. They stopped jogging in the park because there are men lurking in bushes. 'Communities shouldn't have to be paying for this. And what I saw in Epping really, really upset me. I can see why many of those people are protesting.'