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# 9 in 10 vehicles stopped in day-long Ipswich police operation had offences
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/9-in-10-vehicles-stopped-in-day-long-ipswich-police-operation-had-offences/
- Published: 2024-10-25T14:44:49.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T15:32:01.000Z
- Description: Just 11 out of 101 vehicles checked during a major police operation in Ipswich on Tuesday were free from offences, showing widespread flouting of road safety laws.
- Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams
- Tags: News, Policing, Roads & Car Parking, #article, Suffolk Constabulary, #Import 2026-03-16 14:46

**The big picture:** Police issued more than 100 traffic violation reports during the day-long operation at Sainsbury's car park on Hadleigh Road, with offences ranging from dangerous tyres to illegal exhausts.

**By the numbers:**

- 90 vehicles found with violations
- 24 drivers not wearing seatbelts
- 17 illegal window tints
- 10 caught using mobile phones
- 7 overweight loads
- 5 vehicles seized
- 5 people arrested for immigration offences

**Why it matters:** The operation revealed an alarming number of unsafe vehicles in a single confined area, with police finding three vehicles in a dangerous condition.

The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) took immediate action by:

- Ordering 7 vehicles off the road immediately
- Issuing 6 delayed prohibitions
- Giving 27 advisory notices

**What they're saying:** "It is important for people to realise that road safety is everyone's responsibility – an unroadworthy vehicle can be the cause of a serious collision, as can a driver using a mobile phone, or someone not wearing a seatbelt," said Sgt Julian Ditcham from Roads Policing.

Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore added: "It really does amaze me how many drivers set off in defective vehicles or prepared to risk their lives, and the lives of others."

**The bottom line:** The multi-agency operation, which also caught a driver doing 51mph in a 30mph zone, will continue as part of efforts to improve road safety in Suffolk.

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