A report by TRL, funded by the Metropolitan Police Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers, has called for the introduction of a national standard for the management of work-related road risk and greater involvement by the police in disseminating safety information.
A key recommendation for the role of the police is that they explore ways to ensure that information regarding traffic offences reaches businesses (when the offences have been committed while driving for work).
This morning I received my polling card asking me to elect the police and crime commissioner for my area.
Interested to learn precisely what my vote would stand for I visited the website, which explained what the police and crime commissioner’s role includes. According to the site, it consists of:
. Meeting the public regularly to listen to views on policing
. Producing a police and crime plan setting out local policing priorities
. Deciding how the Budget will be spent
. Appointing chief constables and dismissing them if necessary
So it seems the public is going to get a greater say in how the police allocate their time and budget.
At the same time a report proposes that police time is spent disseminating information back to businesses regarding traffic offences.
Call me cynical, but I can assure you that my intentions as a road safety professional for saying this are well-placed.
But with reducing police numbers, a lack of visibility of officers on our streets (and very few on our roads), plus people in communities suffering the usual consequences of crime, anti-social behaviour, drugs, drink and other activities, do we really believe that the idea of greater involvement by the police in disseminating safety information is going to receive support?
I agree that it all sounds good on paper. But I also feel that rather than continue to pin our hopes on things like this happening, the corporate sector should remain focused on its own road safety agenda.
Surely this is far better than waiting for the next over-optimistic initiative to materialise tomorrow.
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