During Project Zero patrols today (1/2), a woman was detained on suspicion of drug driving.
Every Wednesday, officers from the Roads Policing Unit conduct proactive patrols in a specific town in the county as part of Project Zero, which aims to reduce the number of fatalities on our roads.
While the work is routine for our RPU officers, the project sees the department increase resources to target the fatal five offences, which are excessive speed, drink/drug driving, using a phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and careless/dangerous driving.
A 30-year-old woman was arrested today on the A420 at Allington after an RPU officer observed her driving a Ford Focus while under the influence of drugs. She was arrested after a roadside drug test revealed she had cocaine in her system. She has since been released while the investigation is ongoing.
Along with this arrest, officers issued the following:
12 Fixed Penalty Tickets for various offences such as illegal window tinting and seat belt violations
10 Traffic Offence Reports for offences such as cell phones, excessive speed, and unsafe loads
Following public complaints, five key locations were speed checked, including Hardenhuish Lane and Malmesbury Road.
Four vehicles were towed because they lacked insurance.
During officer patrols, a child who had been reported missing was also found.
Officers were out and about in the Chippenham area today, not only detecting traffic offences but also engaging with members of the local community who were pleased to see a police presence in their area following ongoing concerns about speeding,” said A/Insp Will Ayres. We have taken the feedback from local residents into consideration and will continue to conduct patrols and speed checks in the area in the coming weeks and months.
It’s also worth noting that officers don’t just deal with traffic violations; while on patrol today, one of our RPU officers was able to locate a 15-year-old girl who had gone missing earlier in the day.
