The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) reports that over the last decade, dedicated roads police have decreased substantially, with a 22% reduction in officers seen between 2010 and 2014 and a further 18% drop since 2015.

This has coincided with an overall fall in the number of motoring offences detected, but a longer term decline in road deaths and serious injuries has largely ceased in the last 10 years.

Many of these casualties result from a failure to comply with traffic laws, with around two thirds of collisions involving excessive speed, a driver over the legal alcohol limit, failure to wear a seat belt, or a combination of these factors.

PACTS’ report ¬– ‘Roads policing and its contribution to road safety’ – says that, based on an extensive literature review, there is “clear evidence” that an increase in enforcement will lead to a reduction in both fatal and serious injury collisions.

“Breaches of road traffic laws are the biggest single cause of road deaths. This needs to be recognised in the Government’s priorities and resources for policing,” said PACTS executive director David Davies.

The group’s analysis also indicates that, broadly, where enforcement has been increased compliance has improved and casualties have dropped. But where cut backs have affected enforcement, little or no improvement has been seen.

It urges the Government to specify roads policing as part of its pledge to fund 20,000 additional police officers in the Strategic Policing Requirement, produced by the Home Office.

Wider use of technology is also encouraged to help police target high risk individuals and assist in improving compliance with seat belts, mobile phones, drink driving and other safety requirements – not just speed.

This requires a review, the report says, of Home Office Type Approval systems to allow for the more proactive development and implementation of technology such as cameras with more than one purpose.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing Chief Constable Anthony Bangham commented: “A successful road safety strategy requires a level of enforcement and most enforcement powers rest with the police. Reports, such as this one, are highlighting where improvements can and should be made so that we can create a new urgency across policing and partner activity to reduce death and serious injury and make our roads the safest in the world.”

(Photograph: West Midlands Police)