GoSafe and Welsh police continue to use an engagement focused approach to 20mph. The priority is to inform the public of the benefits that driving slower has for themselves and others. On Monday, 8th January 2024, ‘Operation Ugain’ was launched to deliver roadside engagement across Wales.
Operation Ugain is a partnership-based approach to inform the public about the new default speed limit in Wales. It is driven by the Welsh Government, Police, and Fire and Rescue Services.
Operation Ugain uses speed monitoring equipment to identify people travelling over the speed limit, before police officers stop the vehicle and give the driver a choice between roadside engagement or points and a fine. While drivers will be offered the free engagement as an alternative, they can refuse, which will then result in prosecution.
If drivers choose the engagement, Fire and Rescue Service personnel will deliver a free presentation that lasts approximately 10 minutes. It aims to inform people on the change in default speed limit, the reasons behind the change, and how they can identify the roads it applies to.
The data from Operation Ugain sessions suggests that most drivers across Wales are adapting well to the change in default speed limit. During the sessions, only 272 drivers out of the 9,775 checked were stopped for exceeding the 20mph limit in the first month. 270 of these people were given the engagement session and only two were prosecuted. That means that 97% of drivers monitored across Wales weren’t stopped by the Operation Ugain teams and of the minority that were stopped, 99% were given engagement as an alternative to prosecution.
As the Operation Ugain teams continue to work in communities across Wales, data from the sessions will be regularly published at www.gosafe.org This monthly information will include the total vehicles monitored, stopped, engaged with, and where drivers aren’t eligible for engagement, prosecuted.
