So says road safety charity Brake, which has released data showing that traffic police numbers have been cut by 12% in five years, with some forces suffering 30-40% reductions.
Released in conjunction with webuyanycar.com, the data shows that traffic police numbers were down by 31% in Wales and 13% in England despite a 4% increase in Scotland.
The largest cuts have been in: Bedfordshire, where roads police have been reduced by 44%; South Wales and Dyfed Powys, where cuts are around 40%; and West Mercia and Hampshire, where reductions are more than a third.
Brake and webuyanycar.com are concerned the resulting lack of roads policing officers will lead to forces struggling to enforce vital safety laws, such as on drink driving, speeding and mobile phone use, and could potentially undermine the new drug driving law expected to come into force next year.
Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive at Brake, said: ‘Cutting traffic police is a false economy, because the crashes and casualties they help to prevent inflict such devastation and are a huge drain on public services. These cuts also undermine important progress being made by government to tackle drug driving – because as much as we need a new drug driving law and screening devices, we also need the officers out there to enforce it. We urge the Government to make roads policing a national policing priority, to make sure we have a strong deterrent against the risk-taking on roads that can easily cost lives.’
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) added that it shares Brake’s concerns, with director of policy and research Neil Greig commenting: ‘Road safety does not appear to be a high priority for new police commissioners, despite high public concern. What is needed urgently is joined-up government thinking and leadership so that the benefits to the NHS can be shared among those who work on the front line of road safety.’
