Published Tuesday 14 July 2020 at 12:55
Blackburn with Darwen Council is urging residents to stick to road safety rules.
Throughout lockdown, the council’s Highways Department has been working closely with residents, the Lancashire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) and Lancashire Police on the national campaign “Operation MantaRay.”
During this time, the team has undertaken weekly speed surveys and sent all speeding evidence to the police to help target its efforts.
Operation MantaRay is focussed on high profile enforcement and education for road users – targeting the main causes of road traffic collisions.
These include speed, driver impairment through drink or drugs, use of mobile phones and dangerous and careless driving.
As part of the campaign, Lancashire Police has been stepping up patrols in hotspots to crackdown on those who are breaking road safety rules.
Councillor Phil Riley, Executive Member for Growth and Development, said:
Unfortunately, there has been a surge in very dangerous and completely unacceptable driving during the coronavirus lockdown due to the roads being suddenly quieter.
We are pleased that action has been taken and that some of the reckless drivers are facing prosecution.
Now that schools and workplaces are opening up again, we are expecting more people travelling around our borough.
We are urging residents to please make sure they are sticking to speed limits and staying aware when on the road.
The safety of our residents is our number one priority and our Highways Team is working hard to support the Police and Road Safety Partnership in their efforts to tackle these issues.
Chief Inspector Sue Bushell of the Lancashire Police Tac Ops team said:
Road safety is always a priority for Lancashire Police. During this campaign speed enforcement has increased on the roads of Lancashire at locations identified through local force intelligence and community concern.
Offending drivers have been detected county wide and will be dealt with appropriately; drivers who qualify will be offered an educational course, some will receive 3 points and a £100 fine and others will be taken straight to court.
We have witnessed some shocking and unacceptable driving behaviour on our roads in the last couple of months and so Operation MantaRay will continue. Speed limits are there for a reason and are the maximum speed for that road, not a target”.
Through Operation MantaRay, locations in Blackburn have included drivers who will be taken to court for speeds detected at 67mph in a 30mph limit on Whalley New Road and at 66mph in a 30mph limit on Bolton Road.