Co-ordinated by TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network, the operation saw police carrying out a wide range of safety inspections that focused on speeding, alcohol, drugs, seatbelt use, tachograph infringements, excess weight, dangerous loading and document offences.

A total of 41,379 offences were reported, including the following:

· 477 drivers for alcohol and drug offences

· 9,237 offences of exceeding the speed limit

· 9,925 instances of drivers exceeding their maximum permitted time at the wheel

· 2,247 overweight trucks and 1,582 insecure loads. Of the 2,419 trucks prohibited from continuing their journeys, most were because of technical defects on the vehicles

· A number of countries also carried out checks for illegal immigration and people trafficking, as well as the transporting of illegal drugs, firearms and stolen goods. A total of 71 crimes were detected for these activities including 10 for illegal immigration, eight for illegal drugs, two for firearms offences and seven for stolen goods.

TISPOL President Pasi Kemppainen said: “TISPOL is committed to safer, more secure roads across Europe. Key to this is improved monitoring of large goods vehicles, their drivers and their cargoes. We know that the vast majority of truck drivers and operators take a pride in the quality and safety of their work, and we strive to support them. We find they value the work we do, and co-operation with them at the roadside is generally excellent.

“It is against the less scrupulous operators, who put profits first and who will cut safety corners in the process, that our efforts are focused. We are also working to ensure a more consistent enforcement of current laws governing large goods vehicle safety.”

The images show vehicles overtaking (the Gotthard Road Tunnel has only one lane in each direction), performing U-turns, carrying dangerous loads and even stopping in the Tunnel. There are also images of trucks and coaches which have experienced difficulty during the Tunnel journey, either by overheating or jack-knifing.

Damian Meier, chief of traffic police in the canton of Uri and member of TISPOL’s Operational Group said: “Our priority is to make the Tunnel a safer, more secure environment. However, a further seven people have lost their lives in the Gotthard Tunnel since the fire 10 years ago. The most recent fatality was just three weeks ago, when a motorcyclist crashed into the Tunnel wall. We try to identify and remove as many dangerous vehicles as possible before they enter the Tunnel.

“The images show a number of highly dangerous and illegal manoeuvres by drivers in the Tunnel. We deal robustly with these drivers who are putting their own lives and the lives of others at unnecessary risk.”

The Tunnel fire took place on 24 October 2001, when two trucks collided. In all, 11 people lost their lives and 128 others were injured.

Today, a number of measures are used by the Swiss police to improve the safety of the 17,000 vehicles that use the Tunnel each day. These include:

· Applying an interval feed-in system that allows no more than three trucks per minute to enter the Tunnel.

· Enforcing a minimum 150-metre separation distance between trucks in the Tunnel

· Requiring every truck approaching the Tunnel from the north side is directed through the purpose-built HGV Centre in Erstfeld (canton of Uri), where random inspections are made of drivers, vehicles and cargoes.

· An annual rescue simulation exercise is carried out in the Tunnel. Joining police for this are crews from the Gotthard Fire Brigade and local emergency medical teams.

Meier concluded: “The confined environment of a tunnel means that accidents and fires can have dramatic and devastating consequences. In addition, the potential disruption of the transport system following a fire will of course increase these consequences and can cause severe disturbances in the economy of a whole region.”

Lack of consistency in enforcement from one country to another, as well as outdated and cumbersome testing procedures in some countries, sends the wrong messages to individuals who remain prepared to risk their own lives – and those of others – by driving after using drugs.

“Some countries have not faced the fact that there are far too many drug drivers on the road,” said TISPOL President Roar Skjelbred Larsen. “Both Belgium and Spain have recently introduced efficient screening systems based on saliva testing, which saves time and allows many more drivers to be controlled. We urge governments to learn from the good practice that is in place, so that consistent, robust enforcement and wider random testing can provide the necessary back-up to drug-driving education programmes,” he added.

TISPOL is committed to working with policy makers, non-government organisations, road safety professionals and public health professionals across Europe to help reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions.

This, according to TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network, will be one of the first measures to support the new EU target of reducing roads deaths by 50% by 2020, and should be fully supported by Ministers.

TISPOL President, Roar Skjelbred Larsen, says: “A strong support for a political agreement for the long-awaited Directive on Cross Border Enforcement is vital if we are serious about reducing cross border traffic law infringements. Figures show that effective enforcement of major traffic offences saves lives. Take the examples of France and Spain, who have achieved significant reductions of 48% and 50% respectively in road deaths since 2002. Both countries attribute their success to the increased enforcement of traffic offences.”

“Additionally, there is the key issue of equality to consider. EU citizens are, by right, entitled to fair and equal treatment. However, at present, this principle is not being applied, because the vast majority of non-residents are simply driving away from justice whilst travelling abroad.

“The police task of enforcement, under existing systems, is undermined when national laws are respected by residents but not by visitors. Although there are a number of bi-lateral and multi-lateral agreements in place, they are frequently unable to deal with the increasingly complex cross-border problems posed by traffic offenders.

“We therefore call for a decision by the Transport Council of Ministers in support of the Directive, which we believe is essential step to saving lives on Europe’s roads and to provide fair treatment for all EU citizens.”

TISPOL President, Javier Sanchez Ferragut, said: “I am disappointed that the issue of drugs driving is not specifically included as a priority in the programme, as it is a major issue across Europe.

As representatives of the enforcement community, we stressed to the European Commission the importance of including drugs driving in its programme, because we know this is a growing cause of death and serious injury on the roads in many European countries.

“It appears the Commission has missed a potentially significant opportunity to highlight the growing safety threat posed by drugs driving.”

Ferragut added: “We are pleased that the Commission recognises the importance of enforcement in their new plan. It is due to continued enforcement supported by effective education, particularly of the three main killers (excessive speed, not wearing a seatbelt, drink- and drug-driving), that so much progress has been made in reducing deaths and serious injuries on Europe’s roads. However, there are still more than 35,000 people dying each year, and TISPOL believes sustained enforcement of the three main killers is a fundamental part of bringing down this figure by half in the decade to come.”

He continued: “We welcome the Commission’s commitment to prioritise the adoption of legally binding measures on the cross border exchange of information in the field of road safety, to allow for the identification and sanctioning of foreign offenders for seatbelts, speed, alcohol and traffic light offences. We have long recognised this topic as a priority, to deter those road users who visit other countries and ignore traffic laws because they see themselves as beyond punishment. We know that effective cross-border enforcement will make a significant contribution to saving lives on Europe’s roads.”

“Enforcement is a key measure and it has been proved beyond doubt that effective enforcement saves lives, especially when it supports an effective education campaign. TISPOL will use its extensive experience to support and encourage countries across Europe achieve the objectives set out in the plan.”

He noted: “We welcome the emphasis on training, education and enforcement. We have always argued it is not enough to train someone to pass a driving test but they must be trained to handle situations they will encounter, including driving on high speed roads and also at night.”

He concluded: “We welcome the emphasis on motorcyclists and share the Commission’s concerns for this vulnerable group.”

A total of 23 countries took part in the operation, which was coordinated by the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL).

Of the final total of 664,703 detections, 247,911 were made directly by police officers and 416,792 came from automatic technical means.

TISPOL President, Javier Sanchez Ferragut, reminded drivers that speed was one of the ‘big three killers’ in the road environment.

“The speeds you use are your choice. No one can tell you to drive above the speed limit.  Research has shown that complying with speed limits could save nearly 6,000 lives a year. That’s why the police forces of Europe are committed to use the resources at their disposal to ensure sustained and rigorous enforcement of speed limits.

“If you do speed in excess of the speed limit, for the road condition or the weather conditions – or all three – then you must be prepared to live with the consequences if you are subsequently involved in a car crash or detected by the police,” he said.

“Every day, police officers knock on the doors of homes across Europe, delivering the catastrophic and life-changing news that a loved one has been killed in what was almost certainly an avoidable road collision. Excessive or inappropriate speed is frequently the main cause or a contributing factor. If your tendency is to speed when driving, then consider the possible consequences – if not for yourself then for your loved ones – before your next journey.”

The TISPOL Organisation was established by the traffic police forces of Europe in order to improve road safety and law enforcement on the roads of Europe.