Increased levels of road policing are essential to tackle ‘Britain’s Killer Roads’, according to the AA.

The UK has seen a correlation between plateauing road deaths and the decline in the number of dedicated road traffic officers, according to the AA

Five people a day die on our roads and a BBC Panorama documentary being aired tonight (Monday 17 January) questions why road deaths aren’t falling.

Death rates on UK roads have plateaued over the last decade, after previously declining for 30 years, and the rate of deaths increased by 5% in 2020.

The AA said the figures were unacceptable; its message is that “We need more cops in cars”.

AA president Edmund King, who contributed to the programme, said: “It is tragic that road deaths have plateaued over the last decade after a period of sharp decline. These deaths are totally unnecessary and should not be happening. We have safer vehicles; we should have safer roads and safer drivers.

“We rightly hear much about tragic loss of life due to knife crime and yet almost eight times as many people are killed on the roads every single year than die from knife crime. We cannot continue in this way. There should be a national commitment from the Prime Minister down to end this carnage.”

Recent AA research has revealed a growing body of opinion that it’s becoming easier to get away with motoring offences due to a reduction in dedicated traffic police. More than one in four (26%) say that in their area, there’s little or no chance of being stopped and punished for drink driving, or for speeding, rising to 42% when it comes to using a handheld mobile phone and 52% for careless driving.

A report from the Police Foundation, ‘The Future of Roads Policing’, due to be published next month is expected to analyse the reduction in numbers of dedicated traffic officers. Between 2010 and 2014 numbers of dedicated traffic officers fell by 22% and between 2015 and 2019, numbers fell by a further 18%.

The report will also recommend that roads policing should be included in the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR) to make it a national priority so that the Home Office, police forces and Chief Constables are more visibly accountable for policing our roads; a recommendation fully supported by the AA and DriveTech.

Another FOI request by Panorama provided answers consistent with the Police Foundation’s figures. Out of 44 forces, a total of 34 confirmed that in 2016, they employed 5,014 dedicated traffic officers; today that figure is down to 4,257 – a cut of 757 dedicated traffic cops; 15% in five years.

King said: “This leads to the conclusion that ‘cops in cars’ are essential. We have seen a correlation between plateauing road deaths and the decline in the number of dedicated road traffic officers. If some people think they will get away with motoring offences, they will take more chances.

“We should reverse this decline as traffic police are needed in this national crisis with five people dying on our roads daily. This is not acceptable on any level. The bonus, as well as saving lives on the road, is that more traffic police can lead to a reduction in general serious crime as serious criminal offenders are more likely to also be serious traffic offenders.”

The AA also called for a more concerted effort all round to reduce road deaths as it highlighted that basic measures such as more road markings or improved junctions can often help.
“Ultimately, we need five-star drivers, in five-star cars, on five-star roads, with five-star enforcement and five-star political commitment to reduce road deaths,” stated King.