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.
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.
