Speed crack down sees 400 prosecutions (From This is The West Country)

Speed crack down sees 400 prosecutions

8:00am Sunday 17th March 2013 in Cornwall

A crack down on the speed of "class restricted vehicles" in Cornwall and Devon has seen 400 prosecutions.

On January 30 and February 26 this year, speed enforcement operations were carried out aimed specifically at class restricted vehicles. A vehicle’s class determines the speed at which it can be driven on various roads.

A spokesperson for the Peninsula Road Safety Partnership said that the latest data, released by the Department for Transport, showed a national increase in the speeds of these vehicles and a link between those increased average speeds and collision rates.

Adding that despite being class restricted, light goods vehicles had the highest average free flow speed of all vehicles on motorways and dual carriageways.

She added: "The operation took place on the main national speed limit roads across Devon and Cornwall and resulted in approximately 400 prosecutions. Of these detected vehicles, 79 per cent were classified as Light Goods Vehicles. These vehicles, such as the Ford Transit or the Mercedes Sprinter, are restricted to a legal maximum of 50mph on a single carriageway and 60mph on a dual carriageway.

"Although these operations were targeting class restricted vehicles, some cars were identified travelling at speeds exceeding three figures; these will be dealt with in Court and the drivers could face disqualification.

Organisations with more than one vehicle detected may be subject to follow up investigation to see whether the violations detected "indicate an organisational culture of non compliance with road traffic legislation".

The spokesperson added: "The agencies involved in the Peninsula Road Safety Partnership are concerned at these results, and most can provide additional training for fleet operators to remind them of their responsibilities and also provide strategies to assist the safety and efficiency of their fleets."