Odd Fellows Hall, Saltney.
11th May 2010 Tuesday
Start of meeting 7.00 pm
Meeting chaired by County Councillor Chris Bithell
Also present - Inspector Martin Best, Superintendent Simon Shaw, PC 2519 Ian Millington, Inspector Alan Hughes, County Councillor Klaus Armstrong-Braun, Councillor Terry Renshaw, County Councillor Cindy Hinds, Mrs R Roberts (Policy Officer), County Councillor Carolyn Thomas.
County Councillor Chris Bithell opened the meeting. Cllr Bithell being the appointed member for Flintshire on the North Wales Police Authority. The Bridge between community and the force.
Mrs R Roberts continued by talking of Policing priorities.
Top Line – Ensure trust and confidence in the police.
Second – Reduce and resolve crime and ASB. Protect people and reduce harm.
3 – Protect and reduce numbers of deaths in accidents.
4 – Priority to deliver a quality service
5 – To have a well organised and skilled workforce.
Superintendent Simon Shaw (Head of Road Policing Department)
Inspector Alan Hughes (Senior investigator for serious accidents)
The approach –
Education
Engineering
Enforcement.
These based on national and international strategies.
Education
Carried out in class or roadside
Engineering
LA and WAG
Enforcement
Police and Camera Parnership
VOSA
LA
A balance between education and enforcement needs to be applied.
Overall figures have shown a decline from 1995 to 2007 but a big rise in 2007 was due to a change of definition of how numbers were recorded. Any fracture and admission to hospital is now included. Serious injuries now include such injuries as a broken finger etc. But from then to 2009 figures have fallen again.
Enforcement strategy
High volume enforcement supported by the targeting of those at greater risk of being involved in collisions. More at risk –
Prolific offenders, high risk groups, under 25’s and motorcyclists.
Prolific offenders
Scores are worked out in the same was as organised crime principles.
First a home visit, letter for driving course, may require enforcement, parents, remove their licence and monitored on a 2 week basis.
Young Drivers
17 – 20 up to 10 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than experienced drivers. Friday to Sunday are peak days.
Risk of fatal collision –
Up by 39% with one driver.
85% with 2 people and
182% 3 or more. (Chen Baker 2000 study)
Education for young drivers
Adverts. Deadly mates –
Default patrols target young drivers at their peak times, Friday to Sunday.
Drink drive statistics show that the total of drivers under 25 are 9.5% of all drivers but in drink drive campaigns, 30% of those convicted were under 25.
Also McDonald’s leaflets. Green road, Facebook etc.
Motor Cyclists.
In 2003, 18 motorcyclists lost their lives on the roads in North Wales. In 2009 that number was reduced to three.
This year there have been 15 collisions and 13 of these were residents in North Wales. 50 / 50 split of these were bikes on their own or involvement with a car.
Superintendent Simon Shaw – “I have no desire for riders to come to North Wales and use it as a race track”.
Exhausts – Draw a lot of attention. Motorcycle news have critisised the police for this. Offenders have been prosecuted rather than issued with just warnings. No decibel limit, cycles are checked for the stamp stating road use or off road use. The police have no equipment to check noise levels. VOSA can test exhaust systems. 102 decibels road legal quoted by a member of the audience.
There are bike safe workshops, unmarked police bike being introduced this week, Go Safe camera vans now have side cameras.
Last year there were random stops of cyclists entering North Wales and being given advice. This has been abandoned this year to concentrate more on road policing of bikes. All statistics on motor cycles are down.
THE FATAL FIVE
Drink (Drugs)
Seat Belts
Dangerous Driving
Mobiles
Speeding
All these contribute to fatal accidents. Using a mobile has been proved to be the same impairment as having had a drink of alcohol.
For each 1 mph reduction in speed there is a 3 – 6% reduction of a chance of a collision.
Tailgating comes under dangerous driving.
Drink / drive (drugs)
Total agreement that no discretion should be given to offenders.
There was a discussion over whether prescription drugs should be given any discretion and it was decided that this also should be no. The fit test, as used in the USA is used by North Wales Police.
There is also a HGV commercial unit set up to monitor their behaviour.
A question of what percentage of police are dedicated officers for road policing. Superintendent Simon Shaw stated that there were 62 dedicated officers, plus 10 specialists in collision investigation and a further 60 ish who are armed response officers that also can be deployed a good percentage of their time on road policing.
Seatbelts
Over 16 person not wearing the belt is responsible for the fine. No discretion should be given as voted.
Mobile phones
After a discussion it was voted that no discretion be given.
Speeding
There was unfortunately no time to discuss this. Superintendent Simon Shaw did, however, state that it could be discussed for hours.
Careless / dangerous driving
Voted discretion if no injuries at the accident.
The meeting was closed at 8.50 pm.
keywords. Motorcycle News, Safespeed,
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