More than 600 speed offences recorded in Sussex over bank holiday weekend

More than 800 speeding offences were detected by Police in Surrey and Sussex over the late May bank holiday weekend. Officers said more than 600 of them were detected in Sussex, resulting in fines, persecution notices and 'words of advice'. They occurred on main roads including the M23, as well as rural routes including parts of the A29 and A272 in West Sussex, and sections of the A259 in East Sussex.

More than 800 speeding offences were detected by Police in Surrey and Sussex over the late May bank holiday weekend.

Officers said more than 600 of them were detected in Sussex, resulting in fines, persecution notices and 'words of advice'.

They occurred on main roads including the M23, as well as rural routes including parts of the A29 and A272 in West Sussex, and sections of the A259 in East Sussex.

Chief Inspector Michael Hodder said:

"It is clear from the feedback we’ve had from the community and on social media that our response to this national campaign has been well received.

"However, it’s also clear that a small minority of motorists continue to drive or ride in excess of the speed limit.

"This is not about targeting any vehicle type in particular; this is about educating all motorists and providing enforcement where necessary.

"The bottom line is if you don’t exceed the speed limit, then you have nothing to worry about."

A number of other offences were also detected, such as drink-driving, driving without insurance or an MOT, driving with an illegal number plate, and this insecure load in Winchelsea, which resulted in a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice:

Chief Insp Hodder added:

"We work closely with our Community Speedwatch volunteers to identify areas of concern and to address them accordingly.

"This may involve educational messaging, site speed checks and proactive policing enforcement.

"While the vast majority of road users drive safe and responsibly, there are a small number of people who wrongly assume they can use our roads to commit offences.

"In doing so, they are risking the lives of themselves and other road users.

"It only takes a momentary lapse in concentration or an unforeseen hazard to cause a collision. Once you add excess speed into the equation, these risks are greatly increased. Speed kills, it’s as simple as that."

Last year in Sussex, a total of 1,393 speed-related collisions were recorded – the highest number in the county since 2009.

Of these, 315 resulted in serious injuries and 18 in fatalities.

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne commented:

"Sussex residents are still telling me that road safety is one of their top local priorities, especially since lockdown has led to some road users ignoring safe speed limits.

"The recent rise in local council tax supported by residents has enabled Sussex Police to invest more money into the roads policing unit over the last year.

"I’m pleased to see that the team continues to take swift, proactive action to reduce the number of collisions and fatalities on our roads during this crisis and beyond.

"Sussex Police will continue to be a visible presence on our roads, educating all road users and they will not hesitate to use enforcement where necessary."

You can report incidents of dangerous or antisocial driving or riding in Sussex via Operation Crackdown.

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