Fatal 5

Each year in Lincolnshire we deal with the destruction caused by fatal behaviours on our roads: Speed. Drink/drugs. Carelessness. Distraction. Not wearing a seatbelt.

The month of enforcement will see both overt and covert cars, focusing on routes with a high volume of traffic where we see the greatest numbers of serious and fatal collisions.

Lincolnshire’s fatal 5 operation will run from 1 to 28 April in line with the National Police Chief’s Council month long road safety focus on the behaviours that cause the most harm. We aim to engage the people of Lincolnshire, both in advance and throughout this period, in order to educate drivers on what the fatal 5 are, and the importance of safe driving. This is bolstered with the warning that alongside the risk you pose on the roads, you also run the risk of being caught.   

Penalties for committing a fatal 5 offence include a criminal record, a maximum of six months in prison, points on your licence and a fine. The penalties for causing a fatal collision include up to life imprisonment.

Inspector Jason Baxter said, “It’s extremely frustrating and deeply tragic that these potentially fatal behaviours are so easily avoided. Although Lincolnshire Police, and the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, carry out road safety activity all year, we will be undertaking a month long enhanced enforcement operation throughout April, where we will seek out those who commit fatal 5 offences. We want people to understand the consequences – not only of being caught, but also the risks of causing a collision resulting in serious injury or death.”

“There’s huge support from the public for this type of enforcement activity and it’s a vital element to keeping our roads safe. When you take risks, you are not just taking those risks on behalf of yourself, you are taking them on behalf of everyone using our roads. We make no apology for taking action to penalise those who break the law, putting themselves and others at risk. Lincolnshire is a big county and we can’t be everywhere, but we want to get across the message that we could be anywhere.” 

Simon Outen-Coe, of the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, said, “In 2023, 48 people were killed and 378 seriously injured on the roads of Lincolnshire.  The fatal 5 offences are often a contributory factor in those collisions and the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, through its initiatives, remain determined to make our roads safer through: education; training; preventative activities; engineering interventions; and supporting Lincolnshire Police in its enforcement activities.  Those figures reflect an enormous amount of distress affecting a huge number of individuals within our communities and we should all play our part in ensuring that we use the roads safely, which can be accomplished by taking the fatal 5 pledge.”

This operation is strategically timed – in Lincolnshire we know that the summer months see significantly greater numbers killed and seriously injured on our roads. Insp Baxter said, “Whilst fatal 5 offences are part of daily business throughout the year, this month of intensification sends an important message ahead of where we annually see numbers of casualties rising. We want to get ahead of the game and make our roads safe. This is everyone’s responsibility. So please, drive with care, wear a seatbelt, put your phone away, don’t speed and don’t drive under the influence of drink or drugs. If you drive within the law, with care and attention, then this operation is not targeting you.”

As well as being part of daily business, we carry out targeted operations throughout the year. In December Operation Limit proactively sought out drivers under the influence of drink or drugs and Operation Excess ran through the summer months targeting fatal 5 offences. We also target mobile phone use under Operation Tramline.  

Make the pledge 

You can show your support and encourage others to support our efforts by taking the fatal 5 pledge. To make the pledge, simply share our post on Facebook or X.

Repost to make the #Fatal5Pledge

I will not drink/drug drive.

I will not speed.

I will not be distracted.

I will not be careless.

I will wear a seatbelt.

Make Lincolnshire’s roads safer for you and your loved ones.

#Fatal5Pledge

Operation Snap: report a driving offence

See it. Snap it. Send it! Operation Snap is an online portal where you can upload footage of suspected driving offences. Every single submission is viewed and where the footage shows a traffic offence, action is taken.

You can report driving offences such as:

• Dangerous driving
• Driving without due care and attention
• Careless driving
• Not wearing a seatbelt
• Failing to stop at a red traffic light
• Crossing solid white lines
• Offences where a driver is clearly not in proper control of a vehicle

Find out more about Operation Snap.

Delivering the message by Sgt Mike Templeman

When the worst happens, it falls to our Officers to pass on the news to family that their loved one has died on our roads. As part of our engagement on the fatal 5, we will be sharing an account of what it’s like to undertake this awful task.

This is Sgt Mike Templeman.

“You attend the scene of a serious collision and you become aware very quickly that it is now a fatality. The scene can be absolutely horrific.

“The most important thing we need to do, apart from look after the dignity of the person involved, is to find out who their next of kin is. We do not want the next of kin finding out through another source and as soon as you've got those details, someone needs to be asked to volunteer to go and pass the death message to the family.

“You don't really think about what you’re going to say, all you do know from your experience is what you do say is going to affect and change this family’s life and the life of their friends for good.

“When you approach the house sometimes you can hear people laughing inside and it just makes it all the more horrendous knowing that what you’re about to tell them is going to stop that laughter.

“You knock on the door and what can seem like a lifetime before they answer it. Sometimes they look worried straight away, sometimes they just seem happy to see you, but they don't know why you're there. It only starts to dawn on them when you ask if you can step inside. And if the realisation hasn’t hit by then it soon does when you ask them to confirm if they are the next of kin.

“Sometimes you can pass the message there and then, other times they’re that upset and that distraught they literally fall to the floor in front of you. You wait for a break before you can actually say the words that their loved one isn’t coming home again.

“It's absolutely horrific for the families.

“You stay as long as you can, you need to check on the welfare of all those that are in the house as well. The only thing you can then do is try and explain the process of what's going to happen with the Family Liaison Officer when they’re appointed.

“And then you leave.

“And you leave them to the grief.

“And you go to the next job.”