Police leaving the law to cameras

By: Drivers.com staff
Date: 2002-03-12

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Most people seem to think aggressive, dangerous driving is on the increase. However, traffic conviction rates may not show it because police are backing off on enforcing these infractions and leaving all the work to speed cameras, reports an article in the London Times .

In the U.K., the number of police devoted to traffic duties has fallen from 15 per cent of all officers in 1990 to less than 5 per cent, research by the Royal Automobile Club Foundation found. In January the Metropolitan Police switched more than 300 traffic officers to tackling street crime.

The RAC argues that stopping motorists for driving offences helps detect other crimes. Stopping motorists helped to detect other crimes, says Edmund King, the RAC Foundation's executive director. More than 65 per cent of drivers committing serious traffic offences had criminal records, he said. "Speed cameras will not catch drivers who tailgate, overtake dangerously, talk on mobile phones and many other potentially fatal actions. In many areas the number of police on duty keeping the roads safe is almost zero," King added. Read the Times article

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