71 drivers caught using mobiles during traffic operation

A one-day operation by Essex Police in Waltham Abbey saw more than 400 penalty points handed out to drivers caught using their mobile phone at the wheel.

Officers from Essex Police’s Casualty Reduction Section staged the operation on the A121 in Waltham Abbey on 19 October, using a combination of engagement and enforcement.

During the course of the operation, 71 drivers were found to be driving while using their mobile phone. Each driver was given six points and a fine – meaning a total of 426 points were handed out.

104 drivers were stopped for failing to wear a seatbelt and one driver, a 37-year-old man from Enfield, was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs.

Six drivers were found to be driving without a valid MOT and two without valid insurance – and as a result their cars were seized under Section 165.

Matt Hine, operational tasking supervisor at the Casualty Reduction Section, said:

“Throughout the operation the team had to stop a significant number of drivers who were using their phones at the wheel. The law around driving while using a mobile phone exists for a reason.

“For new drivers, if you are given six points during your first two years of passing your test, that’s your licence gone. Driving comes with responsibility and there is no excuse for taking risks that could see you seriously injuring or killing yourself and others.”

30 October 2017