A motorcyclist, travelling at 130mph and an arrest for driving offences were just some of the issues dealt with during a road safety operation in Dane Valley at the weekend.
On Saturday 18 February, officers from the Road Safety Unit, along with the Community Policing Team and Margate Task Force worked together to tackle the issue of anti-social driving in the area.
A total of 38 vehicles were stopped with four Traffic Offence Reports issued for no insurance, seven for excess speed and one each for driving while using a mobile and not wearing a seatbelt. A section 59 warning was also issued to a driver for their anti-social manner of driving and 18 drivers were given words of advice for minor vehicle defects.
Officers also arrested two people for various driving offences after the vehicle failed to stop when requested to do so. Following a short pursuit, the vehicle was found abandoned and two suspects found nearby. They were arrested and one man, a 21-year-old, has since been reported for driving without insurance or a licence. The other man was released without charge.
On their way out of Thanet, the team from the Road Safety Unit spotted a speeding motorcyclist who was riding at 130mph on a 70mph limit road. He was issued with a Traffic Offence Report of excess speed.
Chief Inspector Ian Swallow from the Thanet Community Safety Unit said: “ We are well aware of the public’s concerns around road safety and associated anti-social behaviour in this area.
“The response we received from the community was great and we were pleased to see and speak to some residents to learn more about the issues they face.
“It is important we run these operations and will continue to do so in order to focus drivers’ attention and keep the district safe.”
I saw a 4×4 accelerate up the top half of the high street in margate like he was on the motorway. If a kid run out of mcdonalds they would have been finished. Time is coming for you fools who think it’s okay to speed and intimidate other drivers on our roads. You are all little no marks who are only something in your heads behind the wheel
130 mph-must have been a hell of a chase to pull that imbecile over.
Well done to the dane valley residents association for their work in getting the police involved and their aims to introduce through Kent county council more speed restrictions in the area
Nice to hear some of the idiots who speed around are facing the music, but 130 mph over 4times the speed limit of 30mph that is completely lunatic definitely a brainless person you have no chance of stopping within 70 yards without sliding/ losing control, no idea what carnage there would be if the rider had to do stopina emergency, crazy.
I think you will find this offence was not in Dane Valley but on 70mph restricted road whilst unit was leaving Thanet. That’s how I read article.
Hi FedupB agreed my mistake but still nigh double speed limit he will most likely loose his license if he doesn’t he should.
This operation is perfectly timed to ‘coincide’ with the 15-minute cities in the news, the nearest one to us [so far] being Canterbury. How many crisis actors were employed in this sting? NO-ONE normally does 130mph, come on!
It’s not the motorists they need to deal, there is plenty of other things that need to be sorted but they targeted the easy pickings as usual. They do that so on the books it looks like there doing a great job but in reality it’s just another chocolate teapot.
Low hanging fruit.
Some easy tickets. Bump the stats.
Indeed – but then 5 out of 39 had no insurance – that is a pretty high percentage – so a hell of a lot more ”low hanging fruit” needs to be plucked a bit more often . . .
Hopefully they all had their vehicles seized and were not merely ”reported” and allowed to continue on their way with no insurance ?
I would like to see more police taking action in Thanet. The driving in this area is down right awful. I have been nearly run over a few times at pedestrian crossings. I now wait till all vehicles are stationary before I put a foot on the crossing. Plus look for motorcycles etc who think pedestrians are great targets at crossings.
Road Traffic Unit? Thats news to me, how about they confiscate Electric Scooters, and cyclists bikes when riding on pavements? As someone who uses a mobility scooter quite a lot these idiots are a menace, not only to me but to others like young mums with pushchairs, pensioners, pedestrians in general! I have come close to death several times by this anti-social behaviour!