HAMPSHIRE Police are launching a crackdown on bad driving to reduce the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on the roads.

Between January 1 and June 30 this year, fatal or serious injury collisions were down 12 per cent in the New Forest area.

But since this period, the number of collisions has increased.

The operation will run for six months and will target drivers using mobile phones, drink-drivers, speeding motorists and those not wearing seatbelts.

Ch Insp Andy Bottomley said: “The aim of this crackdown is to really hammer home the risks that bad driving practise carries with it and try to change the attitudes of those driving poorly.”

He added: “Sadly there are people out there who don’t take this duty of care seriously and these are the people we will be cracking down on in the coming months.

“The aim here is to change drivers’ attitudes when they get behind the wheel.”