Clampdown on dangerous drivers

Operation Dice

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

Greater Manchester Police has been targeting speeding and dangerous drivers this week (16 to 22 April) in a bid to reduce road deaths and injuries.

In the first four days of this force-wide operation officers have issued 680 Fixed Penalty Notices. 519 of these were for speeding offences, 80 for using a mobile phone while driving and 81 for not wearing seatbelts.

Officers arrested 34 drivers for drink-driving and six for dangerous driving. They also gave verbal warnings and driving advice to hundreds of others for dangerous and poor driving.

The high profile clampdown is part of Operation Dice that was launched earlier this year in response to a staggering 42 per cent increase in road deaths in 2011 when compared to the previous year, equating to 75 lives lost on the county’s roads.

Roads policing and local officers have been particularly targeting the ‘fatal four factors’ in road collisions as part of the week of action. These are speeding, drink-driving, drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts and drivers using mobile phones or being distracted through using in-car entertainment systems.

This week’s clampdown has been organised to coincide with a national speeding operation by all 43 police forces in the UK and a Europe-wide enforcement led by TISPOL the European Traffic Police Network.

Officers warn however that this is not a one-off crack down and that they will be continuing to target dangerous drivers round the clock across Greater Manchester in the coming year.

Penalties for dangerous and careless driving include fines, penalty points, disqualification and up to 14 years imprisonment for causing a death.

Operation Dice’s enforcement work is being supported by a hard-hitting Dicing With Death public awareness campaign featuring blood spattered furry dice that informs people of the 75 road deaths last year and urges them to drive safely.

The campaign also urges people to help reduce road deaths by providing them with information on dangerous drivers, those driving whilst disqualified or while under the influence of alcohol or drugs either directly on 101 the new single non-emergency number or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Chief Inspector Rachel Buckle from Greater Manchester Police Specialist Operations Division said: “Operation Dice is all about safeguarding precious lives and saving family and friends from having to suffer the terrible devastation that losing a loved one brings.

“Death and serious injuries are the real cost of driving dangerously and we want to urge people to seriously consider this every time they get behind the wheel and to drive with due care and consideration to weather and road conditions.

“Speed is a major factor in pedestrian, driver and passenger fatalities. Research clearly shows that pedestrians involved in a 30mph collision generally survive while those hit at 40mph do not.

“Please slow down, make sure that you and all your passengers are wearing seat belts and switch your mobile phone off before your turn your engine on. These three simple actions can help make our roads significantly safer and save families from suffering the anguish of living through the nightmare of losing someone they love.”