Positive police action against uninsured drivers

According to Detective Chief Inspector Alan Chambers at Sutton Police Station, “Research shows that 80 per cent of uninsured vehicles are driven by people who are involved in criminal activities or have a criminal record and are nine times more likely to be involved in a collision."

I was delighted therefore to hear about the action being taken by our:local police as part of a pan-London operation, a real example of reducing road danger by targeting those who are the cause:

"Lambeth borough officers teamed up with the Safer Transport Team (STT) in another targeted attack at un-insured drivers seizing 15 vehicles and making six arrests yesterday, Thursday, 2 February.

Operation Cubo swept across London’s 32 boroughs and saw officers take up fixed point locations across the boroughs.

Officers from the Safer Neighbourhoods Teams and local policing teams with assistance from STT’s held fixed positions in South Lambeth, Streatham and Norwood from which, they could stop and verify drivers’ details.

Alongside the seizure activity Lambeth Officers arrested two men for immigration offences, one for failing to provide correct details for a summons. One arrest of a woman for having no driving licence or insurance and drug offences. And two men arrested for driving while disqualified.

This action is part of the commitment by Commissioner Hogan-Howe to target criminals and disrupt their activities.

Lambeth Borough Police Inspector Nick Fallowfield said: “These results support our Commissioner’s Total Policing strategy, which encapsulates a war on crime. In essence this means a return to basics and old fashioned policing which means more cops on the streets catching criminals.

Operation Cubo entailed nearly 100 uniform officers across Lambeth stopping and checking nearly 300 cars to deny criminals the use of the road and to identify those driving without insurance or correct driving licenses.

It is reducing crime in Lambeth and is making the roads safer for everyone else. Several future similar operations are now planned”.

PS Tony Dodd from Herne Hill SNT was at the Norwood Op Cubo stop site said: “This was a successful operation and I am delighted with the results the teams achieved. We intend to continue running controlled stop sites on main arterial routes in Lambeth to target motorists driving with no insurance and to combat crime”.

To find out more, or to report dangerous or illegal road users, visit www.met.police.uk/roadsafelondon "