Drive SMART launched to tackle anti-social driving

One of the first initiatives of the newly elected leader of Surrey County Council, Dr Andrew Povey, was to pledge £1m towards tackling anti-social driving, which has been identified as the issue of greatest concern to local residents.

Dr Povey said: “Anti-social driving is consistently identified as a key concern by the people of Surrey so, with Surrey Police, we are launching Drive SMART to help tackle the problem.

“Not only is bad and inconsiderate driving dangerous, it is also damaging to people’s quality of life. We will be investing in equipment and officer time to carry out enforcement and education activities to help make Surrey’s roads safer.”

The campaign targets a range of driving behaviours that negatively affect the lives of other road users or local residents. These include tailgating, bad or inconsiderate parking, using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel, speeding, drink and drug driving and not wearing a seatbelt.

The focus of the campaign is on education and changing behaviour and the launch is tied in with a Roadside Education and Enforcement Day (REED) in Guildford, when some drivers who are stopped for committing an offence will be offered road safety education rather than a penalty.

Click here to read the full Surrey Police news release.