Police day of action in Northampton town centre leads to four arrests and 30 driving offences detected

On October 24, Northamptonshire Police’s Roads Policing and Safer Roads Team were joined by colleagues from the DVSA in Bridge Street as part of Operation Journey, which aims to reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

The checks were held between 10am and 4pm, and 51 road users were stopped. The stops resulted in four arrests and eight vehicles seized as well as 10 immediate and four delayed probation notices issued.

Results

• Two men from Northampton - aged 40 and 24 - were arrested on suspicion of driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit. They have both been released under investigation.
• Two other men – aged 37 and 23 and from London – were arrested on suspicion of knowingly entering the UK without leave. They were handed over to the immigration services to be processed.
• Of the eight vehicles seized – six were for having no motor insurance and two were removed for obstruction of the highway. As well as having the inconvenience of losing their vehicles, the registered owners also received fixed penalty notices.
• Fixed penalty notices for a range of driving offences including seven for tyre defects, two for not wearing a seat belt, two for numberplate issues and one for defective lighting.
• Nine drivers were reprimanded for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition. Four vehicles had faulty braking systems, a further two had issues with their stability control systems while one had a diesel leak, one had illegal window tints, and another had a body panel which was in a poor condition that it was likely to cause injury.
• Officers from the DVSA issued 14 road users with immediate and delayed prohibition notices for a variety of offences including serious mechanical and tyre defects. As a result, drivers either had to rectify the issue that day or were given up to 10 days to do so.

Sergeant Chris Gray, forensic collision investigator and specialist vehicle examiner, said: “Some of these issues may seem trivial to some, however it only takes one poorly maintained vehicle or a momentary lapse of concentration for a driver to be involved in a collision, which can result in potentially devastating consequences.

“We all have a responsibility to use our roads safely and legally and one of the most basic, but essential, ways to do this is to ensure both you and your vehicle are fit for the road.”