More than 6,000 tickets have been issued a year after police launched a crackdown on the most common traffic offences on Bermuda’s roads.

Operation Vega was introduced on July 6, 2021 to address driving and riding behaviours on the island.

Today a Bermuda Police Service spokesman said: “In just over one year, 6,030 tickets for various traffic offences have been issued.

“More recently in a four week period from June 21 until July 11, 2022, 444 tickets have been issued, for a variety of traffic infractions. In addition, 50 warnings were issued.”

Over the four weeks, 186 tickets were for speeding – including one motorist travelling at 89km/h.

Disobeying a traffic sign resulted in 98 tickets, while 42 were for unlicensed vehicle, 36 were for no third party insurance, and 40 were for no driver’s licence.

Four tickets were for disqualified driving, 15 were for manner of driving, 11 for seatbelt offences, nine for unfastened helmets, two were for defective vehicles and one was for failure to give name or address.

Acting Superintendent Robert Cardwell, of the BPS tactical support division, added: “We feel that Operation Vega is having an impact on collisions, as we have seen collision rates a lot higher than they have been of recent.

“Stopping those who are out there committing blatant traffic offences and ensuring they are being held accountable is the way forward and the Bermuda Police Service is committed to making this happen.

“Many collisions are attributable to human error and bad judgment.

“We can continue to see decreases in collisions by continuing to encourage everyone to take their manner of driving or riding seriously and apply all measures of safety available to you.”

A BPS spokesman said that figures for the first quarter of 2022 and the fourth quarter of 2021 each showed fewer reported crashes compared to the same period a year earlier.

He added: “However, the second quarter of 2022 saw reported collisions edge up slightly from the second quarter of 2021.”