Unmarked police vehicle to hit the streets of Northamptonshire to crackdown on tragic number of road deaths

A new unmarked mobile enforcement vehicle is hitting the streets of Northamptonshire in what police are calling an “unusual step” to crackdown on dangerous road usage.

In 2021, 29 people died and 280 required urgent medical assistance for serious injuries, due to road collisions.

These figures have increased further in 2022. Northamptonshire Police says 44 people have died on the county’s roads in the last 12 months.

In what the force is calling an “unusual step”, officers are introducing an unmarked mobile enforcement vehicle to crackdown on those who drive illegally and irresponsibly.

The vehicle will be used at various locations across the county however, priority will be given on routes impacted by collisions and where intelligence has been received regarding issues.

Chair of Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance and Head of Operations at Northamptonshire Police, Superintendent Jen Helm said: “I can tell you that in the last 12 months, 44 people have died on our roads.

“That is 44 parents, friends, siblings, partners, and children who have left the house on a perfectly normal day and just didn’t come home. We know poor driver/rider behaviour plays a large part in these deaths and we know it is on the increase.

“I know the majority consider everyone getting home safe as more important than travelling the extra 10 miles an hour over the speed limit or checking their mobile phones while driving, but sometimes people lose focus.

“However, there are those who chose to deliberately drive or ride irresponsibly or illegally on our roads when they think they can get away with it. This is what the unmarked enforcement van is designed to tackle.”

In 2022, 50,991 offences involved one of the Fatal Five – careless driving, excessive speed, using a mobile phone behind the wheel, not wearing a seatbelt and driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Northamptonshire Police Safer Roads Operations Manager, Matt O’Connell added: “We know that people change their driving behaviour when they see a marked police vehicle and using unmarked vehicles is nothing new. However, this is the first time we’ve adopted this approach when it comes to mobile enforcement.

“With the level of offending across the county, we need to do something different, and the use of unmarked enforcement vehicles might make people think twice before taking unnecessary risks in Northamptonshire.”

Anyone committing one of the Fatal Five offences such as driving at excessive speed may be offered an online education course or receive a fixed penalty fine of £100 and three points on driving licence. Or if the offence is deemed too serious, the offender will face a court.

Money from fines is used by the Government for general expenditure. Northamptonshire Police receives a cost recovery fee of £45 for each speed awareness course where the offence took place in the county. This money can only be spent on road safety. The force says it is used to fund the Safer Roads Team, road safety interventions and Community Road Safety funding.

To find out how to report a road traffic incident visit the Northamptonshire Police website at www.northants.police.uk or www.northants.police.uk/OpSnap for more information about Operation Snap or to submit video footage.