Northamptonshire Police are targeting the ‘Fatal Four’ – the factors behind most serious road accidents nationally – in a summer-long campaign designed to make the all road users safer.

Driving under the influence of drink or drugs, using a mobile phone, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt are the four key causes of collisions involving death or serious injury in the UK.

Locally, fewer people were killed on the county’s roads in 2008 (35) than at any time since official records began almost 50 years ago, but police still think there is more that can be done to improve safety and reduce road casualties even further.

To meet that goal, Northamptonshire Police, working closely with the Casualty Reduction Partnership, will be carrying out enforcement and education initiatives to target the Fatal Four.

As well as stopping and dealing with motorists who are breaking the law, police will also be trying to simply raise awareness of the real risks involved in not wearing a seatbelt or in using a mobile phone while driving.

Enforcement Facts

• Between 01/02/07 (when legislation changed) and 31/12/07, police issued 734 fixed penalty notices for use of a mobile phone while driving
• Between 01/01/08 and 31/12/08, police issued 1164 fixed penalty notices for use of a mobile phone while driving
• There were 192 endorsable FPNs issued for use mobile phone while driving vehicle, from the 1st May to 31st May 2009

• Drivers not wearing a seatbelt 2007 – 995
• Drivers not wearing a seatbelt 2008 – 1165
• Adult front seat passengers not wearing a seatbelt 2007 - 100
• Adult front seat passengers not wearing a seatbelt 2008 – 92

• In the two weeks from May 1-14 2009, officers from the Operations Tactical Unit issued Fixed Penalty Notices to 35 motorists for using their mobile phone while driving.