Nearly 900 motorists have been issued with tickets for driving vehicles without valid MOTs or with dangerous defects as part of a major road safety operation.
The enforcement action across Leeds came under Operation SPARC (Supporting Partnership Action to Reduce Road Casualties), which was launched to target illegal and dangerous driving across the city.
Officers discovered vehicles with serious safety issues, including dangerous tyres and “makeshift” repairs, with some vehicles shockingly being held together with gaffer tape.
The police-led crackdown also led to 582 unsafe or uninsured vehicles being removed from Leeds roads entirely.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk
Officers discovered vehicles with serious safety issues and “makeshift” repairs
LEEDS CITY COUNCIL/GETTY
The operation was launched in June 2020 as a joint initiative between West Yorkshire Police and Leeds City Council in response to rising complaints about anti-social driving plaguing the city.
The operation specifically targets the ‘Fatal Five’ offences that commonly contribute to deadly collisions on Leeds roads.
The need for more police action comes after recent figures found that one person dies monthly, and more than one person is seriously injured daily on Leeds roads due to road traffic offences.
However, while these numbers are below regional and national averages, they remain higher than pre-pandemic levels for the region.
The initiative forms part of the Leeds Vision Zero Partnership, which aims to eliminate all road deaths in the city by 2040.
Since the operation began, police have stopped 6,663 motorists in Leeds, the same amount as more than one per cent of the city’s adult population.
The operation uncovered 972 speeding offences and 2,122 cases of people not wearing seatbelts, resulting in £100 fines.
Meanwhile, a total of 333 drivers received six points and £200 fines for using mobile phones while driving. Officers also arrested 50 people for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs orfailing to provide samples.
Additionally, 291 drivers were reported for careless driving or received Section 59 warnings that could lead to future vehicle seizure.
Councillor Jonathan Pryor said: “Operation SPARC has been incredibly important to help us understand what the common road safety issues are in Leeds, make people accountable for their actions, and allow us to put measures in place to mitigate the behaviour in future.
“As part of Vision Zero we encourage all road users to behave in a way that keeps everyone safe.
“This reflects the Highway Code, which states that those who have the potential to do the greatest harm bear the greatest responsibility to reduce the threat they pose to others.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Drivers can have their vehicles seized by police if caught breaking the law
LEEDS CITY COUNCIL
Inspector Lorna Crabtree, of Leeds District Partnerships, added: “The anti-social and illegal use of motor vehicles is a concern to communities across West Yorkshire and operations like SPARC are key to tackling this issue and changing the behaviour of motorists who use the roads of Leeds District.
“We are committed to working with partners on initiatives like this to make our roads safer, and hope that the results achieved through SPARC provide some reassurance that we are making steady progress towards Vision Zero’s goal of eliminating road deaths in West Yorkshire by 2040.”
