Anti Social Driving Across Sussex Leads To Nearly 100 Complaints In 3 Months

Monday, 3 August 2020 13:43

By Iona Stewart-Richardson @IslandIona

92 complaints have been sent to Sussex Police in the last three months, regarding antisocial driving across Sussex.

Motorcyclists using the A272 as a ‘race track’ were among the concerns raised by residents.

Complaints were mainly from residents in Wisborough Green, St Leonard’s, Bury and Tillington, with a huge proportion relating to the noise and speed of motorbikes.

Chief Constable Shiner said antisocial driving was a problem all across the country and a ‘significant amount’ of work had been carried out to deal with those involved, she added:

“It’s called Operation Downsway, which is our operation to be able to target those people who don’t use the roads responsibility.

“As a result of that operation so far, since lockdown lifted, we’ve dealt with in excess of 160 offences. There has been some significant enforcement activity.”

In the Eastbourne area, there has been a massive increase in the number of drivers handed enforcement notices such as speeding tickets.

Chief Constable Shiner reported that, between March 23 and June 29, 802 tickets were issued, compared to 238 in the same period last year – a rise of 350 per cent, she said:

“I hope that offers some reassurance that our road policing officers and others are absolutely focussed on this, as are our partner agencies.

“We want to make sure that we are preventing behaviour that causes accidents.”

Other complaints shared by Mrs Bourne included large lorries and ‘speed freaks and petrol heads on their noisy bikes’ in the Bolney area; motorbikes racing at high speeds along Bury Hill – while a photographer captured the ‘action’ from a lay-by; and speeding in Storrington, Fittleton, Amberley and Coldwaltham.

Offering to meet with the complainants, Chief Constable Shiner said one of the aims of Operation Downsway was to listen to and include residents affected by antisocial drivers ‘so we can problem-solve this together and they can understand what we can and can’t do’. She added:

“There’s no doubt that we still have more to do. We absolutely recognise this. We are constantly looking at, assessing the intelligence.

“It is everybody’s responsibility to drive sensibly on the roads.”