Page 23 - WMPF Federation Oct-Nov 2018-flip_Neat

“Buses give us a perfect vantage point
into cars and also the cabs of lorries and
trucks. Offenders will be given a road-
side educational input on the dangers of
distracted driving and also face the prospect
of a hefty fine plus six points on their licence.
“We will look at particular circumstances
but there will also be some drivers, ones
who’ve been particularly reckless, who we
will be charged and taken to court.”
A total of 45 drivers were caught using
a phone at the wheel on Day 1 of Operation
Top Deck which was launched to coincide
with National Mobile Phone Week (17 - 21
September) and saw traffic cops in police
forces across the country targeting dodgy
drivers.
At the start of the operation, officers
caught 45 motorists using phones behind
the wheel in just a few hours on the A34
Birmingham Road near the Scott Arms pub.
Thirteen of them – ones who were using
devices in stationary traffic – were given on-
the-spot guidance on the dangers involved.
Their details were taken and they face
prosecution should they be caught a second
time. The rest face the prospect of a £200
fine and six licence points adding to their
licence.
One man was caught using his phone
while on the way to a speed awareness
course while a woman was prosecuted for
driving without due care and attention after
officers found her eating from a bowl of
cereal in her lap. A disqualified driver was
also pulled over and arrested.
PC Hodson said: “The launch run was
really successful and has shown that, despite
all the warnings and public safety messages,
there are still drivers who can’t resist picking
up their phone at the wheel.
“Most offenders were reading or sending
text messages… being online and staying The ‘Top Deck’ team.
in touch seem to get in the way of people’s
driving. It’s simply not worth the risk of the roads, not just specialist traffic officers, total of 990 people were killed or seriously
causing a collision or potentially being and we’re always looking for opportunities to injured on roads in the West Midlands –
banned from the roads. use our resources more efficiently to tackle during the same period 1,251 drivers were
“The bus’s elevated vantage point helps road safety issues. prosecuted for using phones at the wheel.
officers spot phone-at-the-wheel offences. “Everyone needs to pull together to show West Midlands Police and Crime
Our plan is to ‘upskill’ neighbourhood PCs so that using phones while driving must stop… Commissioner David Jamieson, who brought
that whenever they’re on a bus they can use we need to make it socially unacceptable; in the original ban on driving while on a
their mobiles to film offenders and secure persistent offenders need to recognise that mobile phone back in 2003 as a transport
prosecutions. they run the very real risk of prosecution.” minister, said: “The reason the ban was
“ driving are four times more likely to crash.

Between April 2017 and March 2018, a
introduced was to keep the public safe.
“All officers have a part to play in policing

Motorists who use their mobile phone while
All officers have a part to play in policing
This campaign is about saving lives.
the roads, not just specialist traffic officers,

“Those who continue to use their mobile
phones whilst driving are in a minority, but
and we’re always looking for opportunities
they put the lives of every road user at risk.
to use our resources more efficiently to
“I am glad West Midlands Police are
tackle road safety issues. leading this campaign. It will help us stop
drivers who choose to endanger not only
their life but the lives of other drivers and
pedestrians.”
www.polfed.org/westmids federation October/November 2018 23
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