More than 50 illegal drivers have been dealt with in just six days in an ongoing operation to make roads in Kirklees safer.

Neighbourhood policing teams and officers from the force’s Roads Policing Unit mounted days of action and patrols across Kirklees last week as part of the ongoing Operation Trimburg safety ‘drive.’

Police seized five cars for document offences and issued 53 traffic offence reports, reporting motorists for a series of offences between January 18 and 23.

Twenty four of the drivers stopped were found to be not wearing seatbelts. Other offences included speeding, mobile phone use, driving without due care and attention and failing to give way.

Officers carried out patrols in Huddersfield, Golcar, Dewsbury, Mirfield, Liversedge and Cleckheaton focusing on roads specifically highlighted as road safety concern hotspots by residents.

Days or nights of action were also held in Huddersfield, Golcar and Dewsbury.

Operation Trimburg itself remains focused on targeting the so-called ‘Fatal 5’ offences identified as being the main cause of serious and fatal road incidents.

The Fatal 5 offences are not wearing a seatbelt, drink and drug driving, using a mobile phone, speeding and careless driving.

West Yorkshire Police remains committed to Vision Zero, a road safety partnership established with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

Chief Insp Rebecca Calpin, of Kirklees District Police, said: “Seatbelts save lives with studies showing that people in serious collisions are up to 50% more likely to be killed if they don’t have one on.

“We have very tragically seen the dreadful outcomes where people fail to wear seatbelts, resulting in wholly avoidable serious injury and fatal collisions in West Yorkshire and, with partners, we frequently warn of the need to wear them.

“It is therefore concerning that so many of the drivers stopped in Kirklees last week were failing to wear their seatbelts, increasing the risk not only to themselves but any other occupants within their vehicles.”

Operation Trimburg deployments are based on feedback from residents, with officers patrolling on roads where communities have said they want to see action.

Anyone who has information about dangerous or illegal driving is urged to get in touch with their neighbourhood policing team on 101 or online at https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/livechat