A police crackdown on a 'horrendous' Reading road caught drivers without seatbelts or safety-tested cars and using mobile phones.

One King’s Road user arrested for suspected drug-driving was among 19 people who committed offences, out of 30 vehicles stopped and checked by police on Monday and Tuesday.

The Thames Valley Police operation came after a crash on Sunday: the latest in a ‘steady stream’ of accidents on the road.

"The accident record on Kings Road is horrendous. I am glad that the police have listened to the plea from Green councillors for more action on Kings Road to improve safety,” said Green Party Leader for Reading Borough Council Rob White.

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“A one-off operation won't tackle the problem though. I hope that the police will be visiting Kings Road on a more regular basis."

Cllr Rob suggested a 20mph section of road outside Reading College to reduce the speed of traffic.

During the police operation, four drivers were caught on mobile phones, 11 were not wearing a seatbelt, one car had no MOT, one had an illegal number plate, one driver was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and another was found in possession of cannabis.

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A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police issuing a statement on Tuesday: “This type of operation can be a deterrent for criminals wanting use of the roads and also ensures vehicles and drivers are using the roads legally.

“This is not an ongoing operation, but is a continued partnership operation that has been run in Reading previously and others will be scheduled in the coming months."

The spokesperson said a community speedwatch project was in discussion, which could use volunteers to monitor speeding.

They said the police use prevention campaigns and patrols on all roads.

“We do rely on the public to provide information and would encourage anyone with information about speeding or poor driving to please report it."

There have been six fatalities in King’s Road in the 10 years ending 2021, most of which occurred at the junction with Wokingham Road, according to Crash Map data.

The thoroughfare has seen 31 injuries between 2019 and 2021, and in the three years ending 2021, nine ‘serious’ accidents occurred.

One of them involved a 17-year-old girl, who was left is fighting for her life in a coma after a crash between a motorbike and a lorry.

Data for 2022 is not available yet, but the Chronicle reported how on May 20, a pedestrian was hospitalized in a collision with a bus near Cemetery Junction.

On May 12, a woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries following a crash between a cyclist and a taxi.

Reading Borough Council were not immediately available for comment.