Latest news with #trafficOffences
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Thousands of speeding drivers caught on Essex roads in three-month period
THOUSANDS of speeding drivers have been caught on Essex's roads over the past three month, fresh figures reveal Between April and June of this year, Essex Police caught 6,914 drivers exceeding the speed limit across the county. The figures are the result of force-wide action supported by civilian speed enforcement officers and specialist teams. We're now on WhatsApp! Join our new channel at to get all the latest breaking news and exclusive stories delivered straight to your phone. A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "Between April and June, our Roads Policing Unit, supported by our civilian speed enforcement officers and other specialist teams, have carried out road checks across Essex. "These checks took place in towns and villages to improve the safety of our road network and focussed on areas where speeding and collisions are more likely to take place. "In just three months, 6,914 drivers were caught speeding. That's 1,692 in April, 2,504 in May, and 2,718 in June. "Speeding is one of the contributing factors to fatal collisions. Even a small increase in speed can lead to longer stopping distances and if you are involved in a crash, more serious injuries. "In the same three-month period between April and June, we also recorded 7,602 road offences. These include driving under the influence, careless or dangerous driving, and MOT or insurance violations. "Each of these offences carries serious consequences from fines and penalty points to, in some cases, imprisonment. "People living in these areas have welcomed the extra checks. Many say it makes them feel safer." The force has warned that enforcement and road safety checks will continue across Essex throughout the summer months as part of Vision Zero, a joint project with road safety partners to have no fatal collisions by 2040 or sooner.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Detail overlooked in nationwide rollout of new smart road cameras
New "smart" road cameras which detect mobile and seatbelt offences are popping up across the country as authorities attempt to lower the ever-increasing Australian road death toll. The AI-powered safety cameras have been quickly embraced by Australian state governments and are now being used across the world. But they do little to protect groups of road users who are sadly overrepresented in deaths, one road safety researcher has argued. RMIT's road safety professor, Nirajan Shiwakoti, told Yahoo News while the changes "represent progress", it is "not the solution for everything". He said authorities face an uphill battle building trust with communities when it comes to the use of the data — and what happens to the revenue raised. The new cameras target drivers caught breaking the law with their mobile phones and seatbelts with eye-opening results. While they have been in place in NSW and Victoria for some time, Western Australia was the latest state to adopt the technology in January this year. Drivers are yet to be fined for offences, but the trial period has produced "astounding" results. It was revealed at a WA Budget Estimates hearing earlier this week that the cameras had captured a mind-blowing 130,000 offences, with nearly 50,000 caution letters issued to those in breach of the road rules since the cameras were rolled out. Police Minister Reece Whitby said that while he doesn't want to be involved in "massive revenue raising", if behaviour doesn't change, "we are going to see revenue roll in like we've never seen it before, and I'll be gladly spending it on more safety measures." Shiwakoti said there is a risk that if the use of the technology is not communicated properly, it may "lead people to feel" that mass surveillance is taking place, or there "might be misuse of personal data". The legitimacy of the technology has been questioned by road users, with dozens, possibly hundreds of drivers coming forward this year to challenge their penalties — with some successfully overturning their fines. Last July, one NSW driver had his $410 fine and 10 demerit points dropped after he submitted an appeal. He claimed the item caught in his hand by a roadside camera could have been a number of things, not just a phone. In November, another driver in the state shared their frustration at receiving a seatbelt fine, arguing the grainy and unclear photos supplied by authorities failed to show proof of the apparent act. "The challenge for transport authorities is being transparent with the benefits of this technology," Shiwakoti said. "They must provide assurance to the community that there won't be any misuse, that this sort of technology is there to save lives rather than revenue raising and back this up with evidence," he said. He'd like to see authorities communicate evidence of how the cameras are deployed and trends in mobile phone and seatbelt misuse. "That will hopefully provide trust to the community," he said, pointing out they are "there to save lives not just for fines." The "smart cameras" are primarily on highways and motorways near metropolitan areas. But Shiwakoti argues it ignores the most vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and culturally diverse people — particularly those in remote areas. A disproportionate number of crashes involve cyclists on Australian roads despite them being a small percentage of overall road users. Last year, cyclist deaths jumped from 34 in 2023 to 38 in 2024, an 11.8% increase, with motor vehicles involved in the majority of crashes. He added that indigenous Australians also face disproportionately high road fatalities, particularly in regional areas. And despite the drawbacks of the technology, Shiwakoti believes we will see these cameras rolled out and expanded to new locations across the country. "I think it will be expanded," he said. "You will see in the future it being right across urban and regional areas." But he believes a "holistic" approach which considers all road users needs to be adopted. "This technology is just one tool available, but we need to be thinking about a proactive approach," he said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Yahoo
'Vehicle of interest' seized by police in Whitehaven area
CUMBRIA Police have seized a 'vehicle of interest' in Frizington. The vehicle was seized in Frizington on Thursday, June 19 after failing to stop for police. This comes after police initially received information about a 'vehicle of interest' on Tuesday, June 17. Writing on social media, Copeland Police said: "On Tuesday, June 17, PC 2853 received information in relation to a vehicle of interest in the Whitehaven area, the vehicle was located in Frizington where it proceeded to fail to stop for Police when directed to do so. "This vehicle was located this afternoon (Thursday, June 19), thanks to a report from a vigilant member of the public, and has been seized. "Enquiries are ongoing and the appropriate traffic offences will be addressed."
The Herald
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Aarto traffic law, points demerit system rollout delayed yet again
Reports that the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act is being rolled out nationally are false — the driving licence demerit system is not yet in place. This is according to the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) which said there had been recent fake news and misinformation surrounding Aarto, the government's plan to replace the existing criminal system with an administrative one. With Aarto, drivers will lose points for offences and face suspension or cancellation of their licences if they lose too many, in addition to any fine. The controversial act, originally passed into law in 1998, has been hit by numerous delays. It was to have commenced in February 2024 but was deferred to a future date which has not been gazetted. The points demerit system is not operational yet anywhere in the country, including in Johannesburg and Tshwane where Aarto has been piloted for more than a decade, said RTIA spokesperson Monde Mkalipi. 'The points demerit system and rehabilitation programme of traffic infringers are part of phase 3 of the Aarto rollout. Dates for the introduction of the points demerit system are likely to be included in the presidential proclamation which requires to be signed by the president with the date for the commencement of phase 2 and phase 3 of the Aarto national rollout,' he said.
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment lorry driver is caught with no hands on the wheel as he rolls a cigarette on the motorway
This is the shocking moment a lorry driver is caught driving with no hands on the wheel while he rolls a cigarette. The careless driver was captured on film as part of Gloucestershire Police's Operation Tramline on the M25. Up to 58 drivers were stopped for offences that included not wearing seatbelts, using a phone behind the wheel, alongside pulling trailers with insecure loads. Under the road safety initiative, undercover officers drove in an unmarked HGV lorry between May 6 and May 8, recording and i dentifying a number of traffic offences. These officers then intercepted the offending vehicle, pulling it over and dealing with the driver. Alongside capturing the careless cigarette-roller, officers also pulled over a tow truck that was found to have several major defects which included no brakes, cuts in tyres, bald tyres, cracked suspension springs and an insecure load. A prohibition notice was issued to the driver as the vehicle was not roadworthy and could have put other motorists at risk. Two motorists were also pulled over for towing vehicles while in the third lane of the motorway which is not permitted. The offences were handled under the Traffic Offence Reports and summons. These can potentially result in a fine of £100 for failing to wear a seatbelt, £200 and six penalty points for using a handheld mobile device and a £300 fine for driving a vehicle in contravention of a prohibition. Penalties for driving whilst disqualified can also lead to a fine of up to £5,000 and up to six months' imprisonment. Sergeant Matt Firth from the Roads Policing Unit said: 'Reducing the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on our roads continues to be a priority for Gloucestershire Constabulary. 'We will continue to run these operations to detect and deter those who choose to drive in this manner remembering that any of us or our loved ones could be impacted by such behaviours whilst using the county's roads.' National Highways Engineering Team Manager for Road Safety, Jack Mason, described it as 'disappointing' to see numerous drivers putting both themselves and others on the road at great risk. Pictured: a HGV which was pulled over as the driver was seen to be texting while driving. National Highways Engineering Team Manager for Road Safety, Jack Mason, described it as 'disappointing' to see numerous drivers putting both themselves and others on the road at great risk Mr Mason added: 'Figures show that you're twice as likely to die in a crash if you don't wear a seat belt and four times more likely to be in a crash if using a phone at the wheel. 'This year marks the 10th anniversary of Operation Tramline and our goal has always been to remind motorists to think carefully about their driving behaviours and to make our roads safer. 'These results show just how valuable our HGV cabs continue to be in helping to spot unsafe driving behaviours and we will continue working with our police partners to make our roads as safe as we can.' National Highways has three unmarked HGV cabs which it loans out to police forces across the country as part of Operation Tramline. The operation was introduced to help decrease the number of people killed or seriously injured on the National Highways road network.
