Labour’s Road Safety Strategy has come under fire from police leaders who argue it falls short of what is needed to prevent deaths on Britain’s roads. Philip Seccombe, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire and Joint Lead on Roads Policing for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, described the strategy as “a start, but doesn’t go far enough.”His criticism carried particular weight given his personal connection to the road tragedy. In April 2023, his cousin’s daughter was among three teenagers killed near Shipston-on-Stour when 17-year-old driver crashed at high speed into another vehicle. The young driver who had only passed his test six weeks earlier, was later found to have been taking selfies on his mobile phone moments before the collision. He received a two-year custodial sentence.
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According to reports, UK roads claimed more than 1,600 lives annually, with over four people dying every day throughout 2024, according to official figures. Driver error was identified as a contributing factor in nine out of 10 collisions. While recent statistics indicate a modest decline in reported casualties, the UK has fallen behind other nations in reducing road fatalities. Young motorists between 17 and 24 years old represented 18 per cent of those killed or seriously injured, despite their relatively small share of the driving population. The Commissioner said: “Given human nature, particularly among groups of young men, it seems a reasonable price to pay to introduce some limited and temporary additional safeguards for new drivers if it keeps them, their friends and others safe.”Children aged 16 and under account for eight per cent of serious casualties, while those over 70 make up 12 per cent. The strategy sets targets of cutting deaths and serious injuries by 65 per cent by 2035, with an even more ambitious 70 per cent reduction for under-16s.Drug-driving has emerged as a major concern for police leaders, who say attitudes must shift as dramatically as they did decades ago around drink-driving. Data from Operation Spotlight, a National Police Chiefs’ Council enforcement campaign targeting the “fatal four” offences last July, revealed that 60 per cent of roadside drug wipe tests returned positive results, compared with 22 per cent of alcohol breath tests. Mr Seccombe and fellow commissioners are calling for officers to be granted powers to suspend licences at the roadside and seize vehicles from those caught driving under the influence.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSMotorists risk automatic MOT failure and £1,000 fine for breaking number plate rules ahead of changes this weekSadiq Khan confirms new car ban in London with vehicles set to be restricted from Oxford StreetMotorists risk £1,000 fine ahead of major DVLA driving licence update for medical conditionsThe officers have also called for deaths caused by intoxicated drivers to be reclassified as manslaughter rather than the current charge of death by dangerous driving. Many drink and drug-drivers are repeat offenders, suggesting deeply ingrained behaviour, according to the association.Mr Seccombe has been pushing for the Government to adopt Graduated Licences, similar to those already proven effective in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where crash rates and deaths among young people have dropped significantly.Northern Ireland will be the first UK region to introduce such a system from October, requiring learners to wait six months before sitting their test and mandating that newly qualified drivers display an ‘R’ plate for two years.For the first six months after passing, new drivers there will be limited to carrying just one passenger aged 13 to 20 during nighttime hours between 11pm and 6am.Polling conducted for the Road Safety Trust found 72 per cent of the public support this type of scheme. The commissioner urged ministers to follow Northern Ireland’s lead if they are serious about saving lives. Motorcyclists faced the starkest danger on UK roads, comprising just one per cent of traffic yet accounting for a fifth of all fatalities. The association acknowledged the strategy includes welcome proposals to overhaul motorcycle training and testing requirements.
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