150+ vehicles stopped in Tilbury and Grays

More than 150 vehicles were stopped during a road safety operation in Tilbury and Grays yesterday (Wednesday, May 19).

Officers from the Casualty Reduction Unit worked in partnership with the Safer Essex Roads Partnership to detect offenders using the county’s roads and engage with drivers of foreign vehicles as part of Operation Trivium, a national operation tackling criminality on roads across Europe.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology was used to identify suspect vehicles which were intercepted by police vehicles and taken to stop check sites on the A1089 in Tilbury and Lodge Lane, Grays.

During the operation 152 vehicles were stop checked, 18 of which were registered as foreign. A total of 37 drivers were dealt with for using a mobile phone behind the wheel and 55 for not wearing a seatbelt. One vehicle was seized because the driver didn’t have appropriate insurance and 20 were found not to have a valid MOT. Forty-six drivers were dealt with for speeding and two for driving otherwise than in accordance with the terms of their licence.

Three drivers were found to have exceeded legal driving hours and ordered to pay fines totalling £750. Adam Pipe, Casualty Reduction Manager, said:  “This is the fifth time forces across the UK have worked together on Operation Trivium. Yesterday we combined the operation with the Operation Surround a Town operations we run on a regular basis in partnership with the Safer Essex Roads Partnership.

“Essex has a major sea port in the Port of Tilbury. Yesterday’s operation focused on key routes into and out of the port and the surrounding areas to detect and deter offenders coming to Essex to commit crime. “Once again I am disappointed to see that a number of drivers still refuse to wear a seatbelt or listen to warnings about using mobile phones behind the wheel. If you are involved in a road traffic collision you are twice as likely to die if you do not wear a seatbelt. Seatbelts are there for your own safety. Please buckle up. Such a simple task could save your life.”