Last week, The Safer Essex Roads Partnership (The SERP) placed a strong focus on educating young people, engaging communities, and enforcing safer driving behaviours across the county.
Inspiring Year 11s at the Braintree Careers Fair
The SERP attended the Braintree Careers Fair at Chelmsford Racecourse, welcoming Year 11 pupils from multiple schools across the county.
The team spoke with more than 600 young people, many of whom were eager to try out the Batak reaction tool, which tests hand-eye coordination, and uses impairment goggles while completing challenges, to demonstrate realistic changes to the body when under the influence.
Conversations centred on the importance of safe, responsible choices as both passengers and drivers and how maintaining a clean driving licence can open doors to future careers.
Supporting Two Weeks of Schools Action
The team, alongside SERP partners, Essex Police, supported two weeks of action around schools, reducing speed and raising awareness about the dangers posed to vulnerable road users including pupils, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Officers attended priority locations across Essex:
- South (Southend, Hawkwell, Maplin Way, Sutton Road, Star Lane, Rectory Road): 98 offences recorded.
- Central (A130 commuter routes): 376 offences, with the highest speed recorded at a shocking 129mph in a 70mph limit.
- North (Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon Road, Rettendon, Beaulieu): 171 offences.
- Dedham, Boxted, Heckfordbridge, Peldon: 62 offences.
- West (Thurrock – Devonshire Road, Chadwell St Mary): 57 offences.
There was a total of 764 offences recorded across the fortnight.
Throughout the fortnight of action, community response was strongly supportive. Parents, cyclists, and pedestrians alike thanked officers for their presence, noting:
- “We all have a responsibility keeping speeds down- your help is keeping my children safer.”
- “I want to feel safe cycling to work. There are too many people rushing around , thank you for listening and acting to keep us safer.”
- “Thank you to our School Crossing Patrols, there in all weathers to keep our children crossing safely.”
Operation Limit: Tackling Drink and Drug Driving
Essex Police continued its robust approach to road safety through Operation Limit, a designated campaign targeting drug and drink driving across the county.
The results in Basildon were stark:
- 21 arrests- 20 offences for drink or drug driving.
- 93 Traffic Offence Reports – the vast majority for excess speed.
- 75 TRUCAM speed offences detected.
- 16 vehicle seizures.
Why we do it
From engaging pupils about their futures to supporting communities around schools and removing impaired drivers from our roads, last week showed the range of work The SERP carried out across Essex.
Every conversation and every offence detected takes us a step closer to Vision Zero: eliminating deaths and serious injuries from Essex roads by 2040.
Learn more about Vision Zero and how you can support your community: www.saferessexroads.org/visionzero
