Firstly it is an interesting news headline as it doesn't provide you with
the sample data
the sample period
total number of police vehicles sample taken from
doesn't consider forces have different policies as TB says
which are all necessary criteria when using statistics and interpreting them.
Consider this headline
100 % increase in burglaries in area, in the last year!!!
What this could mean - there has been 1 and it has increased to 2 or more worringly there was 20 and it has increased to 40. Both scenarios fit the headline though.
In relation to police driving,
Police officers are not exempt from road traffic legislation and this has to be adhered to unless specific exemptions are claimed under the road traffic act.
These broadly summarised are; speed exemptions, red traffic lights - to be treated as give ways, keep left and keep right sign - can be deviated from and the use of seat belts IF it were to hinder the vehicle for a policing purpose (and that doen't include getting lunch!).
Any use of the exemption has to be justifiable and the driver and possibly others are accountable for their use and application of it.
A court can also retrospectively remove the right for them to claim their exemptions under the road traffic act as previously described, if there is other evidence of driving which is either inconsiderate, careless or dangerous driving. Therefore, an officer in court for any of these offences and also claiming an exemption under legislation, can expect to also be prosecuted for the matter to which the exemption applied.
Like anyone, officers if caught, are dealt with, either informally or formally, no different to any other motorist. Largecol, you obviously saw a police officer carrying out an illegal manoeuvre - did you take the trouble to report them? If not, then you only have yourself to take issue with. A person will only amend their behaviour if it is challenged or they receive a sanction.
If this debate/ discussion is to continue then applications to all 43 police services need to be made under the freedom of information act asking for
the number of police authority owned leased or hired vehicles in their fleet within the last tax year
the number of reported collisions that occured with breakdown of injury, non injury, fatal, vicinity (where a suspect is being pursued and crashes but the police vehicle does not collide)
the number of instances of complaints against officers contravening road traffic legislation
the number of those resolved informally
the number of those resolved through the judicial process
Only once we are in possession of the data are we in a position to comment, as to what the statistics mean and represent. No I am not volunteering!!!!
Police officers like anybody else are human, they make mistakes or errors of judgement (too fast etc), and have to live with themselves and the consequences of them, very much like the latest road safety campaign suggests. Any accident occurring through work prosecution or pending prosecution must be declared to an individuals insurance company; as they ask the question 'have you been involved in any accidents in the last x years'; failure to declare is fraud. Mr Mondeo man has his insurance provided by his company, police officers have their own private policies to which they must declare any accidents either at work or in their own vehicle.
We all commit wrong doings every now and again, whether it be speeding, or dropping a piece of litter (throwing a fag end out of the car is littering) but it doesn't make the news unless it is very serious. There have been some interesting admissions and comments on here if you look back.
The police are in the public eye and have the support of them, this headline does nothing to help that support them.
How about publicising the heroic work of the police such as diving into raw sewage to recover a murder weapon, giving mouth to mouth to someone unknown to the officer, no of course not, these aren't news worthy headlines.
Notice you only get the good news stories when there is no bad news.
:-?
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Topic: Police road accidents . . . (Read 2577 times)