Drivers who make the county’s roads unsafe by flouting traffic laws are being targeted in a police operation that aims to promote road safety.

Operation Vortex is part of a wider regional campaign involving four other police forces and will see dedicated teams of officers carrying out patrols in unmarked vehicles over the next two weeks in a concerted effort to improve the behaviour of motorists, as well as reduce collisions and casualties.

Inspector Kevin Roseblade from the Gloucestershire Police Roads Policing Unit, said; “There are a small number of drivers whose poor approach to using the roads is arrogant. High speeds, coupled with this sort of driving attitude, can result in catastrophic consequences.

“This operation, along with the work we already carry out, sees us act robustly to stop these offences and change the attitudes of these drivers in order to make the county’s roads safer.”

Officers will be patrolling many routes across the whole of Gloucestershire, and will be targeting offences such as speeding, driving an unroadworthy vehicle, dangerous driving and any other poor driving which could lead to a collision. Video recording equipment will be used to catch those who break the law and put lives in danger.

“Operation Vortex is about taking the initiative with a dedicated team of officers who will be positively enforcing road traffic laws,” added Inspector Roseblade. “The law-abiding motorist has nothing to fear in this; however, those who disregard the laws of the road should think very carefully about their driving, as they have everything to lose.”

Those caught during the operation face anything from a fixed-penalty ticket to a court appearance and possible imprisonment, depending on the seriousness of the offence.

The operation also ran last year, 2009, for two weeks in August and again in September. In total 54 drivers were reported for speeding, 32 for using mobile phones whilst driving, 47 for seat belt offences and seven for traffic light offences. Eight vehicles were seized for having no insurance, six drivers were given 14 days to rectify minor faults with their vehicle, three were reported for having no tax and one driver was reported for a vehicle prohibition of excessive tint of the car’s windows. During the operation officers also recovered a stolen vehicle.