Special effort to make roads safer in Crewe

A special effort to tackle motoring offences in Crewe led to more than 100 vehicles being stopped in a day.

The operation was conducted by 14 Special Constables on Saturday 7 March. The results were:

• 44 drivers were caught speeding
• 9 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) were issued to motorists, regarding seat belts (5), speeding (2), a headlamp (1) and an obstructing windscreen (1)
• 6 motorists were given the opportunity to rectify defects on their vehicles without having to go to court, via the Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme (VDRS)
• 2 drivers were breathalysed (they were both found to be under the drink drive limit)
• 57 drivers were given words of advice regarding their driving or their vehicles.

Cheshire’s Special Constabulary Support Officer Team and a regular police officer aided Crewe Local Policing Unit’s Special Constables throughout the operation.

Special Inspector Grant Williams said: “Special Constables are an integral part of the policing family in Cheshire. They support operations and enable us to provide a much appreciated additional visible presence in communities.

“On this occasion, our Special Constables in Crewe conducted an operation to tackle motoring offences in the town.

“It was an eventful day and the feedback from members of the public was very positive.

“I cannot praise the Special Constables involved highly enough for the standard of the operation that they carried out.

“They should be proud of their efforts to make our roads in Crewe safer for motorists and pedestrians.”

Collisions are Cheshire’s biggest killer, with 36 people having died on the county’s roads last year.

Superintendent Jo Marshall-Bell, who heads up the Roads and Crime Unit at Cheshire Constabulary, said: “We do not go out policing the roads for the sake of it – we do it to save lives.

“People often ask us ‘should you not be spending your time doing something more important and investigating real crimes?’

“My response to that is simple: people are dying on our roads. Stopping any more deaths from happening as a result of something unnecessary and totally avoidable has to be one of our top priorities.

“Investigations into the fatal collisions in Cheshire show that some of the deaths could have been prevented, and that the biggest killer on the roads is motorists driving carelessly, followed by driving too fast, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, not wearing a seat belt and driving while using a mobile phone. Together, these are known as the Fatal 5.

“It is absolutely crucial to engage with, and educate, motorists on how to use the roads safely, and to enforce the law when they are not doing so.

“Saturday’s successful operation in Crewe conducted by Special Constables was just one example of that.

“The message for motorists is slow down, pay attention, wear your seat belt, put your phone down, don’t drink or drug drive and make sure that your vehicle is safe for the roads.”

Being a Special Constable is a unique opportunity to do something special both for yourself and your community.

This vital role gives you invaluable experiences and training that you can use throughout your life to achieve your personal or professional goals.

As a Special Constable you will be provided with full training, a uniform and out of pocket expenses and have all the powers and authority of regular officers.

For more information about Special Constables, including the recruitment process, visit the recruitment section on our website.