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Video: Police crackdown on seatbelt and mobile phone offences

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'A wake-up call' was how one driver described being pulled during a police operation.

PC Ian Clark and his team were based at a layby in Cheriton Road, Folkestone, opposite the football ground, using motorcycle cops to taregt and pull over cars. They were targeting drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts and using mobile phones while at the wheel. With more than 20 drivers pulled over in the first hour, it was a busy day.

PC Clark explained that more than 460 lives would have been saved across the country last year if people had only buckled up.

Other offences came to light as well, including one car with tyres so dangerous it had to be taken off the road.

Drivers had the choice of watching a graphic video on car crashes, arranged by Kent Fire and Rescue, or a £30 fine. Everyone watched the video.

One woman, who did not wish to be named, was pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt. After watching the video, she told the Express: “I just think it is a wake-up call. We’ve all done things but this is a chance to realise how dangerous it is.

“Because of my job I have to be on call with my phone and there is no way I would ever answer it in my car - but there I was driving without a seatbelt, which is worse.”

PC Clark said: “The older generation seem to be the seatbelt offenders but then alot of them didn’t have to wear seatbelts for many years."

He added: "I think the aim of today should be educational, and predominantly focusing on seatbelts, although we will deal with other offences that come up."

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