Lincolnshire Police launch summer crackdown and warn drivers that July and August are typically the most dangerous for crashes
Police chiefs are pleading with drivers not to take risks on the roads — as figures show July and August are the two most dangerous months of the year for crashes.
Lincolnshire Police has launched its summer ‘#Fatal5’ crackdown in a bid to boost safety at this time of year.
Officers say that July and August are typically the months of the year when more people are killed and injured on the county’s roads.
For a five year period, from June 1 2018 to May 31 2023, 283 people were killed or seriously injured in August and 260 in July. That’s about double the rate in March, where the figure was 138.
The ‘fatal five’ causes that are the focus of the police campaign are the main causes for road collisions: drink/drug driving, speeding, carelessness, failure to wear a seatbelt and mobile phone use.
Insp Jason Baxter said: “Nationally, July sees the highest number of people killed or seriously injured on the UK road network and that’s reflected here in Lincolnshire where our numbers peak in both July and August. We are joining in this nationwide effort to make the roads safer and will be focusing on fatal five offences over the summer months.
“We all have a part to play in making our roads safer, choosing to make good decisions and encouraging our friends and family to do the same.”
Research suggests that collisions are more common in July and August due to a multitude of factors including the fact that people are more likely to drive to unfamiliar places during the summer holiday season and that alcohol consumption tends to increase in summer months, leading more to drive under the influence.
The Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership says it is determined to make our roads safer through a range of new initiatives.
Simon Outen-Coe, communications manager, said: “In 2023, 48 people were killed and 378 seriously injured on the roads of Lincolnshire.
“The #Fatal5 offences are often a contributory factor in those collisions and the LRSP, through its initiatives, remain determined to make our roads safer through: education; training; preventative activities; engineering interventions; and supporting Lincolnshire Police in its enforcement activities.
“Those figures reflect an enormous amount of distress affecting a huge number of individuals within our communities and we should all play our part in ensuring that we use the roads safely.”
As part of the campaign, police want to highlight the punishments incurred from breaking the rules of the road.
Officers pointed out that:
*Drink and drug driving can lead to a minimum one year driving ban, unlimited fine and up to six months in prison
*Mobile phone use can lead to six penalty points and a £200 fine
*Speeding can lead to a minimum £100 fine and three penalty points
Road users are also encouraged to send footage of incidents to the police.
Operation Snap is an online portal where you can upload footage of driving offences. Police promise that every single submission is viewed and where the footage shows a traffic offence, action is taken.
Reporting by Eloise Hodson
