Sussex Police is committed to reducing casualties on the roads and making them a safer place for all road users. You can find a snapshot of activity from across Sussex that our teams and volunteers have been doing in response to local issues.

Advice

Throughout July the Sussex Safer Road Partnership (SSRP) are supporting the National Police Chiefs’ Council Speed Campaign, raising awareness of the impact of unsafe and illegal speeds across the county. The #NoNeedForSpeed campaign aims to raise awareness of the ‘Fatal Five’ and tackle irresponsible and dangerous drivers and riders.

SSRP will provide educational messaging and amplify the work that SSRP and Sussex Police deploy 365 days a year to combat speeding vehicles across Sussex. The SSRP Safety Camera team will also be out on the roads using both fixed and mobile cameras to enforce the law and provide support to the initiative.

Alongside speed, operators are able to capture mobile phone and seatbelt offences, ensuring a robust stance is taken on tackling speeding and wider driving offences in the region throughout the year.

Sussex Community Speed Watch groups (CSW) will be providing extra support in local areas through volunteer teams. Find out more about the work of SSRP and their latest campaigns on their Twitter @SussexSRP

Sussex Police supported the national Seatbelt campaign which ran between Monday 31 May and Sunday 13 June 2021. In the last six years, the proportion of car occupants killed who were not wearing a seatbelt has remained consistently above 20%. During this two week period officers across the force identified over 355 drivers, passengers and even children were stopped for not wearing their seatbelt. It cannot be emphasised enough how important it is to wear your seatbelt whether you are driving or are a passenger, they can and do save lives.

 

Localised activity

West Sussex

Two mopeds were seen and stopped in Ford Road, Arundel, by officers whose investigations showed that one of the mopeds was being ridden on false plates and had actually been stolen in October 2020 from Brighton. The rider claimed to have bought it off an internet sales site the previous week, the moped was seized and enquiries are ongoing. The rider had no insurance and will receive six points on their licence and a £300 fine. The second moped rider was issued with a fixed penalty notice for an illegal number plate and broken brake light.

Local officers have been out with the West Chiltington Community Speed Watch group to provide support and positive community engagement. Our volunteers are crucial to help us make our roads safer for all road users. You can find out more and how to join Community Speedwatch in the ‘Engage with us’ section below.

The driver of a delivery van decided to park on zig zags blocking a pedestrian crossing in Lancing, the driver was given three points on their driving licence and a £100 fine.

A car was spotted driving on the A27 at Chichester and attracted the attention of officers who were nearby because of the loud exhaust and excess speed the car was being driven at on the dual carriageway. Officers followed the car, stopping it safely a short while later and the driver was reported to court for excess speed and having an illegal exhaust fitted to their car.

A motorcyclist who was stopped due to the manner of their riding and was issued with a Section 59 warning as well as fixed penalty notice for an illegal number plate and no MOT. A Section 59 warning is issued where a rider / driver drives in an anti-social manner and can result in a warning on the first occasion and is given to the driver and put on the vehicle. If they do it again then the vehicle can be seized and only released when a fine is paid.

Speed checks were carried out on the A273, Hassocks, resulting in several motorists being stopped for speeding. Early morning speed checks were also carried out on the A286, Chichester and five speed offences were dealt with when officers carried out checks on the A285, Duncton.

An unlicensed driver was stopped in Worthing and their vehicle was seized. Members of the public reported concerns for the way a vehicle was being driven in Worthing and that the driver may have been drinking. The vehicle was found and officers stopped the driver who was arrested for drink driving as well as having no licence or insurance.

A car was stopped in Chichester as two young children were sitting in the back not wearing seatbelts, there were no child seats to keep them safe. Checks on the vehicle also showed it had a defective tyre which is dangerous and could cause an accident.

A driver caught the attention of officers on a routine patrol in Littlehampton, who noticed the number plate did not match the make and model of the grey Citroen in front of them. When they have tried to stop the vehicle to speak to the driver, they failed to stop. The vehicle set off at high speed and was recorded doing 60mph in the 30mph zone, before eventually crashing into bollards and the driver was detained by police. The officers carried out a routine breath test, which the driver failed.

The driver was arrested and charged with dangerous driving, careless driving, drink-driving, driving with no licence, driving with no insurance, driving without a valid test certificate, failing to stop when required by police and possession of cannabis. He pleaded guilty to all offences, and at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday 17 June, he was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and disqualified from driving for 42 months.

Driving while under the influence of alcohol is one of the fatal five causes of killed and seriously injured incidents on the roads. Our message is this drink or drive, never both.

East Sussex

Officers have been carrying speed checks in and around Hastings, Bexhill and Rye encompassing the A21 and A259.

Officers spent time in Hailsham High Street where they identified and stopped 15 motorists where the drivers were not wearing their seatbelts. A further five vehicles were stopped in Birling Gap and drivers spoken to for not wearing their seatbelts.

Officers doing evening roadside checks in Peacehaven stopped a car and found the driver was a provisional licence holder and was not being supervised and had no L plates on display. The driver was dealt with for the offence and the vehicle was seized.

Local officers in Rother district have been responding to complaints from local residents and carrying out high visibility patrols on the A28, Main Road, Westfield.

We received several reports from people concerned in the community of cars driving very fast up Atlantic Drive, Eastbourne. Our officers have been in the area doing high visibility patrols and stopping any motorists breaking the speed limit.

Officers carried out an early morning drink and/or drug driving check on the A259 in Icklesham. Lots of vehicles were stopped and it was good to report that none had been driving under the influence of drink and/or drugs.

Officers stopped a motorist at Phoenix Causeway, Lewes, after the driver was seen to not be wearing a seatbelt. While speaking to the driver the officers could detect the smell of cannabis. The man and his car were searched, and officers discovered a quantity of cannabis and about £2,000 in cash. Due to this, a search of his address was authorised, where officers discovered a larger quantity of the Class B drug and a further £10,000 cash. The man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis, and acquiring or possessing criminal property. He has been released under investigation, pending further police enquiries.

A member of the public who was concerned by the way a blue Seat was being driven in the Eastbourne area reported this to police when they saw the car collide with a number of bollards. A registration number was provided, which enabled officers to quickly find the car in St Anthony’s Avenue. The female driver failed a breath test, and was subsequently charged with driving with 170mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in her system – almost five times the legal limit of 35mcg. The woman pleaded guilty to the offence and at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 16 June and was sentenced to 14 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. She was also disqualified from driving for 36 months, and required to pay a £128 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Brighton and Hove

A driver was stopped for not wearing their seatbelt. When officers did further checks they found that the vehicle was also uninsured. The driver was dealt with for the seatbelt offence, driving with no insurance and the vehicle was seized.

A 20 year old man was arrested on suspicion of drink and drug driving following a two vehicle collision at the junction of the A23 / A27.

Police received a report of concerns for a woman who was a passenger in a car travelling in Veronica Way, Brighton. Officers responded and signalled for the car to stop, but the driver continued and collided with the police car, causing minor injuries to one of the officers. The car continued and failed to stop for officers in Brighton and was found again and spotted by an unmarked police car on the A23 and followed to Hassocks, where it was finally stopped.

The driver was arrested and charged with assaulting an emergency worker, failing to stop when required by police and dangerous driving. He has been remanded in custody ahead of a court hearing at a date yet to be fixed. The woman spoke with the officers and was safe and well.

PCSOs have been out with the speed awareness sign across the city all month.  This sign highlights the speed a motorist is traveling at which acts an encouragement to travel at the speed limit. Locations visited included, Nevill Avenue, Hangleton, Shirley Drive, Upper Drive, New Church Road, Surrenden Road, Mile Oak Road and Argyle Road.

Sussex Safer Roads Partnership Casualty Reduction team

The Casualty Reduction team continued to support National Police Chiefs’ Council campaigns across Sussex, educating road users on key road safety issues and the ‘Fatal Five’ – the five most common contributory factors to collisions on the roads. The team have also supported Sussex Police by dealing with incidents such as broken down vehicles, attending collisions, assisting with a drink drivers and seizure of vehicles. Further to this, the Casualty Reduction Officers continue to respond to Operation Crackdown reports and support the activity undertaken by Community Speed Watch volunteers.

Community Speed Watch

Community Speed Watch Volunteers play a vital role in keeping communities safe and educating road users on the impact of inappropriate or unsafe speeds. Over 60 groups have conducted Speed Watch sessions over the past month, with 5,689 reports generated to the Operation Crackdown system. If you are interested in joining a Community Speed Watch group, visit www.communityspeedwatch.org

Safety Camera Team

The Safety Camera team continue to monitor roads across the county where there have been collisions or identified speed related road safety issues. The Safety Camera team have been in Haywards Heath, Bury, Bognor, Chichester, Heathfield and Hailsham, along with key points on the A27 and A23. To find out more about the work of the SSRP Safety Camera Team, visit their website: www.sussexsaferroads.gov.uk/info/safer-speed

Engage with us

Operation Crackdown is a joint initiative run by Sussex Safer Roads Partnership and Sussex Police, which provides communities of Sussex an opportunity to report specific instances of anti-social driving, as well as abandoned vehicles on the road. In instances where there is sufficient evidence, road users are contacted and educated by Sussex Police to highlight the impact of ant-social behaviour on the roads on the wider community. All reports provide a vital oversight of when and where anti-social driving incidents are taking place, assisting in the long term operational strategy of colleagues within SSRP and Sussex Police.

Community Speedwatch (CSW) is a county wide initiative involving community members working collaboratively with Sussex Safer Roads Partnership and Sussex Police to monitor speeds of vehicles using speed detection devices. Vehicles exceeding speed limits are referred to Sussex Safer Roads Partnership with the aim of educating drivers to educate their speeds.

To find out more about Community Speedwatch, or if you are interested in joining a local group, please contact SSRP here

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If you have any questions about road safety in Sussex, contact the SSRP team. 

If you suspect someone is drink or drug driving and there is an immediate risk dial 999 or text 65999 to report it.