Revealed yesterday (9 February) by the RAC, the drop has seen 43 police forces cut their traffic officers from 5,635 to 4,356 between the end of March 2010 and 2014, according to figures published by the Government in response to a parliamentary question.

Brake said the latest figures continue s a trend that has been ongoing since at least 2008.

Critically, it is not just overall numbers of traffic police that are falling, but their strength as a proportion of all police officers, down from 3.9% in 2010 to 3.4% in 2014. Brake is concerned that this reduction in visible roads policing may be a factor in the increased road casualties recently revealed for the year ending September 2014.

Gary Rae, campaigns manager, Brake, said: ‘Effective, visible enforcement of traffic laws is absolutely critical to preventing road deaths and injuries. Drivers tempted to break the law need to know they will be caught, and that they won’t get off with just a slapped wrist. Traffic police numbers have been declining for years, and this may well be reflected in the increase in road casualties we are now seeing. Road traffic policing needs to be made a national priority, not a soft target for police cuts. Every extra traffic officer out on the road is an investment in saving lives and easing the strain on our other emergency services and on our struggling NHS.’