“OFFICERS policing our roads have had to deliver the worst possible news to 22 families already this year.

“This is a truly shocking number that I personally am appalled by.

“To then see drivers reaching speeds of more than 120mph on our roads, displaying such disregard for human life, it’s a slap in the face.”

Those are the words of Adam Pipe, our head of roads policing, after four vehicles were captured travelling at speeds of more than 100mph across a 30-minute period on the A12.

Two officers from our dedicated Roads Policing Unit (RPU), who regularly patrol our county’s highways, were conducting speed check at Margaretting on Saturday 12 April.

During a single half-hour period one vehicle was caught travelling at 123mph.

Another was caught at 110mph, with two further vehicles clocked driving at 102mph.

Each offender will receive a court summons.

Ahead of the Easter weekend, Mr Pipe is urging drivers to recognise the dangers their reckless speed can pose to the public.

His officers are also catching many people who are driving after taking drugs, or driving while looking at their mobile phones.

Our RPU is taking part in Operation Limit, which sees traffic units deployed on targeted patrols in specific areas of our county.

On Saturday 12 April across a 10-hour period alone, this saw 14 arrests on the roads around the Chelmsford area, with 17 vehicles seized.

Of the arrests, 11 were for drink or drug driving.

One of these arrests, at Maldon Road, Hatfield Peverel, saw cocaine recovered from a Jaguar and a man arrested for a litany of offences.

He was questioned on suspicion of drink and drug driving, driving without insurance or a full licence and possession of Class A drugs and released under investigation while inquiries continue.

A total of 139 other offences, mainly speed-related, were identified throughout this 10-hour period.

As part of Operation Tramline, officers use an HGV on loan from National Highways.

The height of the cab allows officers to see into other lorry cabins or down into cars on a lower level to observe if drivers are on their phones.

Under this operation, officers caught several drivers looking at their phones while behind the wheel on the roads of our county.

One woman did so while carrying five children in the vehicle.

So far this year, 22 people have sadly died on our roads in Essex as a result of 16 collisions.

Mr Pipe said: “We’ve seen a horrific number of serious collisions on our roads already this year.
“For me, one death is always one too many.

“Behind each statistic is a family, changed forever, and in some cases this is down to the selfish actions or split-second mistakes of road users.

“This has also taken a huge toll on our officers, who are people too, and who have had to deliver some heartbreaking messages.

“We’re more proactive than ever in patrolling our roads and catching irresponsible drivers, but it does feel like we’re fighting against the tide.
“There’s only so much we can do, and we’re out there policing the roads of Essex 24 hours a day.

“My personal plea is for the public, the majority of which I know are responsible drivers, to take care on our roads as you travel this Easter holiday.

“If you’ve had a drink, don’t drive. Think before you travel, designate a driver.

“If you’re late or in a rush, don’t resort to speeding, it’s not worth the devastating cost.
“That phone call or text message can always wait.

“Be aware of your surroundings, watch for motorcycles and cyclists, take an hour longer to plan your journey.

“These are the simple things you can do to help ensure we don’t lose another life on our roads.”