Cumbria Police target young drivers in national road safety operation
Focus on encouraging safer driving and reducing serious collisions.
Cumbria Police have participated in a national road safety initiative aimed at enhancing safety on the roads by targeting young drivers.
The three-week campaign, known as Operation Spotlight, ran from 14th September to 4th October and focused on the Fatal Four: speeding, using a mobile phone at the wheel, not wearing a seatbelt, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
During the operation, Cumbria Police recorded 21 interactions resulting in Road Traffic Act offences, including drink and drug driving, speeding, driving without due care and attention, driving whilst disqualified, serious injury by dangerous driving, and tyre offences.
A notable incident during the campaign occurred on 2nd October, when police arrested a 19-year-old following a road traffic collision on the A590 near Haverthwaite.
The teenager tested positive for cocaine at the scene and was released under investigation.
In another incident on 12th September, officers arrested a 19-year-old in Workington after a roadside breath test showed him to be over double the drink-drive limit.
He was subsequently charged with drink-driving.
Inspector Holly Lockwood of Cumbria Police’s Roads Policing Unit highlighted that young drivers are disproportionately involved in serious and fatal road traffic collisions due to inexperience and difficulty in assessing risk.
Lockwood urges families to talk to young drivers about these risks in an attempt to reduce the chances of serious road incidents.
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, expressed his concerns regarding dangerous driving and supports the introduction of Graduated Driver Licences.
Allen highlighted the necessity of having a driver's licence in a rural county like Cumbria and emphasized the need for responsibility among young drivers.
Cumbria Police continue to tackle dangerous driving behaviors throughout the year beyond the campaign.
Allen also encouraged reporting any driving-related issues in communities to aid the police in safeguarding the public.