14/07/2025
From today (July 1), officers from Northamptonshireâs Roads Policing Team will be shining the spotlight on the fatal five driving offences as part of a national month-long campaign.
The National Police Chiefsâ Council (NPCC) is running its annual Operation Spotlight campaign throughout July, the month which in the past has seen the highest number of people killed and seriously injured (KSI) on the UK roads.
Operation Spotlight aims to raise awareness of the dangers and consequences of the four biggest contributory factors in collisions - driving under the influence of drink or drugs, mobile phone use, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.
In July 2024, a total of 3,406 people were killed or seriously injured on the UKâs roads, which were attributed to the fatal four driving offences. On the countyâs roads there were 31 KSIs, while there were also 70 (drink driving) and 36 (drug driving) arrests, plus 6,086 fixed penalty notices issued for excessive speed, 106 for not wearing a seatbelt and 35 for using a mobile phone at the wheel.
In addition to the traditional fatal four driving offences, the Force will be focusing on the fifth biggest contributory factor in collisions â careless driving â after a further 52 Northamptonshire road users were injured due to this behaviour, which includes tailgating, failing to give way and distraction at the wheel.
Led by the Roads Policing and Safer Roads Teams, officers from across the Force will reinforce the educational messaging to raise awareness of the potential dangers and consequences in a bid to make our countyâs roads safer for everyone.
Anyone caught committing a driving offence, putting themselves and others at risk, will face further action, which may include:
⢠Excessive speed - minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three points added to your licence. If eligible you may be offered an online education course.
⢠Not wearing a seat belt - if youâre caught travelling in a vehicle without wearing a seat belt you could be given a fixed penalty notice of ÂŁ100 on the spot. While the driver is responsible for children aged up to 14, those over 14 are responsible for their own actions so if you are not wearing a seat belt as a passenger, you could be fined ÂŁ100.
⢠Using a mobile phone - you can get six penalty points on your licence and a £200 fine if you use a hand-held phone when driving.
⢠Drink/drug driving â you risk up to six months in prison, an unlimited fine and substantial driving ban. However, the costs of a conviction could be up to ÂŁ70,000 because of fines, solicitorsâ fees, increase in the cost of car insurance and potentially losing your job.
⢠Careless driving - if found guilty of careless driving, you could receive a fixed penalty of £100 and three penalty points on your licence. Or in more serious cases, the matter may go to court, where you could face imprisonment, an unlimited fine, up to nine penalty points, or even disqualification from driving.
In addition to the above:
⢠Drivers who cause a death while driving under the influence of drink or drugs face up to 14 yearsâ imprisonment.
⢠Receiving 12 or more penalty points within three years may disqualify you from driving.
⢠If youâre a newly qualified driver and receive six points during the first two years after passing your test, your licence will automatically be cancelled (revoked). To get it back youâll need to apply and pay for a new provisional licence and pass both theory and practical tests again.
As part of Operation Spotlight, road users can expect to see increased patrols, targeted enforcement, and roadside checks across key routes in Northamptonshire, supported by intelligence-led deployments and collaboration with road safety partners.
Roads Policing Inspector Sean Watters, who is leading on the Operation Spotlight in the Force, said: âToo many lives are lost or changed forever because of entirely preventable choices made behind the wheel.
âOperation Spotlight is about focusing attention on the driving behaviours that cause the most harm â the Fatal Four â however, in Northamptonshire, we will also be focusing on the fifth biggest contributor - careless driving - as part of our campaign.
âOur officers will be out in force using marked and unmarked vehicles, motorcycles, drones, and robust enforcement to hold dangerous drivers to account. However, this campaign is also about education. We want to make people think about the risks before they take them.
âThis is not just a month-long campaign. We police our roads 24/7 and take action against anyone who chooses to ignore the law which then impacts on the safety of others.â
Tragically in 2024, 31 people never returned home safely to their loved ones following a collision in Northamptonshire and 243 required urgent medical assistance for serious or life-changing injuries.
Reducing the number of people who are killed or seriously injured is a priority for not only the Force, but also the countyâs multi-agency partnership, the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance (NSRA).
Anyone with information about road safety concerns or any vehicle crime is asked to report it online at https://orlo.uk/W1v2E or call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Always call 999 in the event of an emergency, such as a crime in progress or where life is at risk.
People can also report driving offences by uploading video evidence via a simple online portal on the Force website and completing a form, which automatically creates a witness statement to provide a full account of the incident.
For more information about Operation Snap or for details on how to submit video footage, visit the Northamptonshire Police website at https://orlo.uk/bi4xj
