Police urge motorists to stay safe on the regions roads as warmer weather will bring influx of traffic

Police are urging motorists to stay safe on the roads of North Wales as part of their ongoing efforts to reduce deaths and serious injuries.

With the weather forecast this weekend set to be unusually warm for this time of year, North Wales Police are expecting to see an increase in the amount of traffic on the region’s roads.

Because of this, Operation Darwen, a force-wide campaign which usually runs from early spring through until autumn; will begin this week, whereby officers will target collision hotspots and crackdown on the Fatal 5 offences – which includes dangerous driving and speeding.

Superintendent Jane Banham, Head of Specialist Operations at North Wales Police said: “We are receiving information that vehicles are travelling at speed on the EVO Triangle ahead of the average speed cameras going live.

“An announcement was made last autumn that funding had been granted to install average speed cameras on a section of the EVO Triangle which we warmly welcomed.

“We are receiving information that vehicles are travelling up there to drive or ride at speed ahead of the cameras being switched on therefore we are warning that our officers are patrolling the area and positive action will be taken against those who flout the law. We continue to urge motorists to think about their behaviour and what changes they could make to improve their own safety and that of other road users.

“We are committed to keeping people safe on the roads and our message is clear – we want people to enjoy the freedom of the road but to do so safely and responsibly. All too often police and our partners in the other emergency services are called to serious and fatal road traffic collisions across the region. Staying safe on the road applies to every single one of us, whether we have two or four wheels on our vehicle.

“Whilst the vast majority of motorists drive or ride appropriately, some choose to use the roads as a racetrack, committing serious breaches of road safety legislation, such as speeding and driving or riding dangerously thereby putting themselves and other road users at risk of death or life changing injury.

“We also recognise and understand that speeding vehicles is a real concern for many local communities of which we regularly receive complaints. We must also remember that serious collisions disrupt communities when roads have to be closed for several hours with often long detours in place.

She added: “Our message is two-fold – we are simply asking all motorists to enjoy our beautiful region safely and abide by the law. And secondly we are urging other road users to be mindful of the possible increase of traffic on the roads this weekend, and to especially be mindful of motorcycles and their vulnerability.”

Motorcyclists are also being urged to ensure they are wearing the correct protective equipment when riding. Tyres should always be checked as worn or under inflated tyres haven previously been a common theme during collisions.

Social media users can follow the campaign via the Roads Policing Unit social media accounts by following the #OpDarwen and #Fatal5 hashtags.