A 23-year-old man from the Wishaw area has been imprisoned for 6 months after being detected driving at 80mph in a stolen vehicle from the Lothian and Borders Force area into the Strathclyde Police Force area.
Following his arrest in Lanarkshire on the second day of the Scottish Summer Road Safety Campaign, it was subsequently discovered that the driver was three times over the legal alcohol limit, had no insurance and was also a disqualified driver. He appeared at Linlithgow Sheriff Court and received a six month prison sentence for the theft of a car and various other road traffic offences. This is just one of the many incidents which occurred in the first week of the Scottish Summer Road Safety Campaign, which involves all eight Scottish Police Forces tackling the three major causation factors in road accidents - speeding, drink-driving and failing to wear a seatbelt.
Following the launch of the campaign last Monday 9 August 1999, police have detected a total of 168 motorists who provided a positive breath test or refused to supply one in the first week alone. Consequently, Forces throughout the country have reported a total of 25 alleged drink-drive related collisions, including one road accident within Northern Constabulary Force area which resulted in a fatality.
Even more staggering, is the number of motorists detected speeding on Scotland's roads in the first week of the campaign. Over 5,000 motorists (5,032) were detected breaking various speed limits using remote and static enforcement cameras and operational road patrols carrying the most sophisticated technical equipment. A total of 843 drivers were caught on camera breaking the 30mph limit and a further 2,789 were detected breaking the same speed limit by road patrols. In the Stirling area, a 34-year-old-man is subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal after being detected riding his motorcycle at 130mph on a road with a 40mph speed limit.
In the Lothian and Borders Force area, another motorist has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal after driving at 90mph through roadworks with a temporary speed limit of 40mph. The driver's speed then increased to over a 100mph at the normal speed limit of 70mph on the motorway. When the driver was asked why he was driving so fast, he answered that he was in a hurry to get to a barbecue in Cowdenbeath and he had all the rolls for the hamburgers! Another 19-year-old motorist in the Lothian and Borders Force area has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal after being detected driving at 68 mph by a hand-held speed gun on the A8 in Edinburgh, which has a 30mph speed limit. The motorist also passed three vehicles on the inside lane and failed to stop for the police. After being arrested, the motorist admitted that he only passed his test in June this year.
A total of 32 children were put at risk by drivers for travelling in a vehicle without wearing a seat belt in the passenger seat and in the rear seats. One driver in Strathclyde was reported for allowing the carriage of an 18-month-old child on the knee of a passenger in the front seat of a vehicle. Around 83 per cent of those caught travelling in a car without wearing a seat belt were drivers - 1,927 out of the 2,319 detected in total.
Members of the public have played their part in the Summer Road Safety Campaign by making use of the Crimestoppers hotline as part of its 'Stop Road Crime' campaign. Over 100 calls have been made to the confidential freephone telephone number to pass on information concerning crime on Scotland's roads. The majority of calls from the public have related to drink-drive offences which have been followed up by officers in the relevant force areas or noted for intelligence purposes.
One caller phoned the hotline at 5pm to report a drink-driver in the Renfrewshire area. The driver was detected within the hour for drink-driving and driving while disqualified.
Mr Martin Papworth, Assistant Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police (Strategic Support) and Secretary to the ACPOS Road Policing Standing Committee, said: -
"I am appalled at the number of motorists detected drink-driving, speeding and driving without wearing a seat belt on Scotland's roads. It is disappointing that so many drivers still drink and drive despite the crime being regarded as unacceptable by the public. One motorist in Livingston was stopped for driving while being more than twice the drink-drive limit at midday yet he had stopped drinking at 1am the night before. Given the publicity surrounding the campaign and the high-profile police activity throughout Scotland, I find it totally inexcusable that some motorists are still ignoring the road safety message.
I urge members of the public to make use of the Crimestoppers facility by phoning with information concerning road crime on the freephone number - 0800 555 111. By making a call to Crimestoppers, you may save someone's life and the unnecessary heartache that goes hand in hand with road accidents.
Research has identified these three offences as being the main cause of road accidents, so I appeal to motorists and passengers to take heed of this important road safety advice and drive responsibly on Scotland's roads. Don't drink and drive, drive within the speed limit, taking particular care around busy urban roads and belt-up safely. It's your life, don't risk it and the lives of others."