IN a special weeklong operation codenamed "Jastrab" (Hawk), Slovak police recorded 31,397 traffic offences, and collected over Sk23 million (€590,000) in fines, the TASR news wire reported.
A total of 6,802 police officers took part in the operation. During the checks, police focussed mainly on speeding, the use of safety belts and mobile phones, the condition of vehicles and drink driving.
However, the police were also on the look out for wanted criminals and illegal immigrants.
The most frequent offence recorded was drink driving, with 441 cases. Of 364 driving licences that the police confiscated, 212 were for drink driving.
Police officers uncovered 55 non traffic-related offences during the operation. They arrested 24 offenders, 30 wanted people and one illegal immigrant.
Over the period of the operation, 1,072 traffic accidents occurred on Slovak roads, in which 11 people died, 31 people were seriously injured, and 119 slightly injured.
Compared with the same period last year, the number of traffic accidents fell by 212, but with only two fewer fatalities. The number of seriously injured people was down by nine year-on-year, while the number of slightly injured people fell by 67 year-on-year.
Compiled by Magdalena MacLeod from press reports
TheSlovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the informationpresented in its Flash News postings.
