Police Catch 2,615 Lawbreaking Drivers during Major 3-Day Road Safety Blitz

More than 2,600 road traffic offences were detected across the country in just three days during a massive police crackdown on lawbreaking motorists.

The nationwide “Safer Road Operation,” which ran from Friday 15 May to Monday 18 May, saw police intercept and check 13,890 vehicles.

Officers logged a total of 2,615 infractions, exposing widespread irregularities on the nation’s roads.

The large-scale operation mobilised multiple divisional police forces, Traffic Branch units, and specialised teams deployed across the island.

Drivers and riders were penalised for a wide array of offences, including driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, using mobile phones behind the wheel, driving without a licence, and operating uninsured vehicles.

Motorists Account for Bulk of Offences

Car drivers accounted for the vast majority of the infractions. Out of 11,008 motorists stopped and checked by officers, a staggering 2,147 offences were recorded.

Breathalyser and narcotics testing led to the arrest of 32 drivers who tested positive for alcohol, while two others tested positive for drugs.

Among the most frequent visual and documentation breaches logged against car drivers were:

• 193 cases of driving without a licence
• 115 vehicles operating without a valid vehicle licence or insurance
• 71 drivers fined for using a mobile phone at the wheel

Officers also recorded numerous structural and safety violations, including failure to wear a seatbelt, non-compliant tinted windows, irregular registration plates, and illegally modified exhaust pipes.

Motorcyclists Heavily Targeted

Bikers were a primary focus of the three-day safety campaign. Police intercepted ,2882 motorcyclists, penalising nearly one in six of them after uncovering 468 separate infractions.

Roadside testing caught five motorcyclists riding under the influence of alcohol and one riding under the influence of drugs.

A breakdown of the documentation offences among motorcyclists revealed:

• 117 cases of riding without a vehicle licence or insurance
• 17 cases of driving without a licence

Furthermore, police issued multiple fines to riders failing to wear safety helmets or fluorescent jackets, as well as for making illegal modifications to their motorcycle exhaust pipes.

Source: Le Mauricien