The crackdown saw unmarked police vehicles targeting drivers over 10 days of action between Tuesday 1 September and Wednesday 16 September 2020.
The results of Operation Vortex included:
15 drivers arrested for drink and or drug driving, 12 of whom were suspected drug drivers
76 drivers detected travelling above 90mph in a 70mph zone, with the highest recorded speed being 117mph
73 drivers not having valid insurance, with 35 vehicles seized
16 drivers caught using their mobile phone at the wheel
6 disqualified drivers identified and taken off the roads
15 drivers ticketed for not showing due care or attention to other road users
14 vehicles not having a valid MOT
10 people driving otherwise in accordance with their licence, typically provisional licence holders without L plates and qualified supervision
2 drivers in possession of a suspected class B drugs
50 various other offences including vehicles being in a dangerous condition, tyre offences, driving through no entry signs, excessively tinted windows, vehicles being overweight, occupants not wearing a seatbelt or number plate offences.
On top of the 277 offences dealt with by drivers at the roadside, safety camera vans detected a further 958 speeding offences on key routes throughout the two counties.
Some examples of motorists dealt with by officers include a motorcyclist who undertook several vehicles at speed on the A30, two drivers reported for tailgating vehicles and a man who was stopped as he had been disqualified from driving or holding a licence for the rest of his life.
Chief Inspector Steve Lenney, Head of Roads Policing, said: “This large-scale enforcement operation delivered by our dedicated officers and staff demonstrates our commitment to tackling those who wish to abuse our road network and put others in danger.
“It was run as a result of a rise in recent fatal collisions even against a back drop of 100 days of lockdown. Last weekend alone, we saw four people lose their lives on our roads, that is four decimated families, not four traffic jams or delayed journeys.
“Our aim of operations such as this would be to prosecute or ticket no one. The results highlight that motorists need to change their behaviour to prevent our officers turning up at your door step and looking into the eyes of family and friends to tell them that their loved one has died.
“Speeding makes up the vast majority of offences detected, with excessive speed being a major contributory factor in around one third of all collisions. The faster you drive, the less time you have to react and sadly our officers regularly see the devasting consequences speeding can have. During this operation, officers caught one motorist doing 117mph in a 70mph zone and this is simply inexcusable.
“Officers made a total of 15 arrests over the ten days of action and the volume and variety of offences detected means this operation has been our most successful proactive enforcement in tackling impairment on our road network in recent years.”