UK police forces have taken part in a 24-hour ‘speed marathon’, the focal point of TISPOL’s annual week-long speed enforcement campaign.
Part-financed by the European Commission, TISPOL is the European Traffic Police Network – established by traffic police forces across Europe to improve road safety and law enforcement.
The ‘speed marathon’ concept was devised four years ago in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia – and has since been enthusiastically embraced by police forces across Europe.
The 2018 speed marathon – which ran from 6am on 18 April until 6am on 19 April – looked to build on the success of last year when 2,939,375 vehicle speeds were checked.
A total of 151,073 offences were detected in 2017, meaning that 95% of drivers observed by police officers during the 24 hours were using legal speeds.
Paolo Cestra, TISPOL president, said: “Our speed enforcement activity is all about prevention. We want drivers to think about the speeds they choose; speeds which are both legal and appropriate for the conditions.
“By doing so, they will be reducing the risks they face and the risks they pose to other road users.
“Illegal and/or inappropriate speed is the single biggest factor fatal road collisions. That’s why police officers take action against drivers who fail to comply with speed limits.
“The 24-hour speed marathon is one component in our strategy for reducing casualties, and making Europe’s roads safer.”
No doubt in due course we will be told just how many drivers have been caught being over the speed limits. How many have been prosecuted and how many lives or potential lives have been saved.
Its easy to have a speed gun ready but how many will be stopped and prosecuted for what they and we would call inappropriate speeding. That which is not over the speed limit for that road but is considered to be inappropriate at that moment in time on that roads and in those circumstances as judged by a police officer.
R.Craven
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