December alcohol and drug enforcement operation, 9 to 15 December 2019
Results
from nearly one million checks in 17 participating countries show that
more than 12,000 people failed breath tests during TISPOL's week-long
alcohol and drug operation, which took place between 9 and 15 December
2019. Additionally, more than 3,000 drivers and riders failed drug
tests.
The
figures confirm widely-held fears of a significant drug-driving problem
across Europe, as well as showing that drink-driving rates show no
signs of reducing.
Just over 980,000 drivers and riders were checked in 15 TISPOL member
countries. Of these, 12,663 failed roadside breath tests and 3,370 failed drug tests.
Similar
figures from December 2018 show that 745,000 drivers and riders were
tested in 20 countries, with 7,995 alcohol offences and 3,095 drug
offences recorded.
A
spokesperson for TISPOL explained that a total of 28 countries took
part in the operation, but 11 have yet to deliver results. "When all
results are in, we estimate the total number of alcohol offences are
likely to exceed 22,000, with drugs offences nearer to 6,000," he said.
In the next TISPOL Bulletin (28 January 2020), we plan to bring you complete results from all our operations in 2019.
France: first department brings back
higher speed limits
higher speed limits
The
Haute-Marne in eastern France has become the first department to change
back up to a 90kph speed limit on departmental roads, 18 months after
the government first imposed a drop to 80kph.
The
change will initially apply to 200km of departmental road, president of
the departmental council Nicolas Lacroix said, before being rolled out
to cover 476km in total across the entire department.
New signs have been put up, alongside further warnings to drivers reading: “For your safety, respect the speed limit” (“Pour votre
sécurité, respectez la vitesse”). The change will cost €100,000, Mr Lacroix said.
The
council made the decision to revert to the higher limit without waiting
for advice from the departmental road safety commission, but Mr Lacroix
said that he had submitted the necessary accident reports for the roads
in question before making the change.
The decision has been criticised for being “populist”, in a department that had a particularly active gilets jaunes movement.
Seven
departments have
made clear that they will be staying at the 80kph limit:
Meurthe-et-Moselle, Loire-Atlantique, Rhône, Ardèche, Gard, Var and
Ardennes.
Norway: Oslo records no pedestrian, child or cyclist deaths throughout 2019
The
Norwegian capital, Oslo, is getting closer to achieving a Vision Zero
goal, with zero pedestrian or cyclist deaths last year. The city's
single traffic death occurred when a driver ran his car into a fence
during the summer — a decline from five traffic fatalities in
2018, according to Norway's Aftenposten news outlet.
Christoffer
Solstad Steen, who works with Trygg Trafikk, Norway's road safety
council, said the city of Oslo has taken big steps in recent decades to
achieve zero pedestrian deaths in 2019.
He
told reporters some streets in Oslo were closed off to cars, so only pedestrians and cyclists can use them.
"When
you reduce the number of cars that are driving in the city centre, you
reduce the risk of collisions between cars, and other heavy vehicles,
with pedestrians and bikers," he explained.
Italy: committee agrees participation in TISPOL's 2020 operations calendar
A
meeting took place in Rome last month for regional TISPOL delegates.
The meeting was chaired by Giovanni Busacca, head of them National
Traffic Police Service, with the participation of 17 regional delegates.
During the meeting, the operating provisions for the TISPOL's 2020
operations were issued.
Germany: collision site 'gawkers'
face prison sentences
face prison sentences
Drivers
who commit parking offences face harsher penalties. In November, the
government passed a new catalogue of fines, which have just come into
force. For example, drivers who do not let ambulance and rescue teams
through when collisions occur on roads, including autobahns, face paying
up to €320 instead of the previous €200. Drivers also face the risk of a
one-month driving ban and two points on their licence.
Motorists who double park or park on footpaths or cycle paths could be fined €100, up from €55 previously.
Vehicles with a gross weight of more
than 3.5 tonnes are only allowed to turn right in urban areas at walking
speed (7 to 11 km/h). Those caught flouting the rules face a €70 fine
and a point on their licence.
Finally,
using a mobile phone to film or photograph people who have died in road
collisions will in future be punishable by fines or even imprisonment
of up to two years. The "production and distribution of a picture that
shows a deceased person in a grossly offensive manner" will in future be
considered a criminal offence, the government decided.
These people can obstruct the work
of rescue services as well as cause distress.
Until now, criminal law has only protected living people from degrading images. In the case of dead people, such pictures are only considered a violation of personal rights.
Until now, criminal law has only protected living people from degrading images. In the case of dead people, such pictures are only considered a violation of personal rights.
However,
these kinds of pictures are appearing more frequently due to the number
of mobile phones around... and they are easily spread online.
See below how a German police officer confronted drivers who had been taking photographs at the scene of a fatal collision...
UK: 28-month jail sentence for driving
theory test impersonator
theory test impersonator
A
Coventry man has been sent to prison for 2 years and 4 months for
trying to sit theory driving tests for other people at 12 locations
across England.
Swallaxadin
Abdul Bashir, 42, was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court on Wednesday (8
January) for his 12 offences, which took place from October 2018 to
August 2019.
Theory
centre staff reported the incidents to the Driver and Vehicles
Standards Agency’s (DVSA) fraud investigation team after having
suspicions that he was impersonating the genuine candidates whilst
taking the tests.
The
DVSA rejected all pass results from the tests that he carried out and
in some cases he was turned away before taking the test.
Ireland: the Terminator wishes Derek Cloughley a very happy retirement...!
We
take this opportunity to wish Derek Cloughley a long and happy
retirement. Derek was an enthusiastic officer from An Garda Síochána who
was immensely helpful in any TISPOL activities and initiatives over
recent years. He was also well known on television screens across the
country thanks to his regular appearances on RTE 1's Crimecall show.
All the best to you, Derek - we hope you enjoy the pictures we share below.
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