Police Driving Accidents On The Increase

Most drivers are aware of the rules of the road, and know that driving carelessly can lead to accidents. Driving whilst speaking on a mobile phone or eating food can lead to drivers becoming distracted and unable to drive properly which increases the likelihood of an accident.

When an accident occurs, and injuries have been sustained then the police will often attend the accident scene. In order to reach the scene promptly police officers may use their blue lights to cut through traffic and drive at higher speeds but this too can lead to more accidents. Whilst police officers do have to undergo specialist training the number of accidents caused by police cars on the road has increased over the years. These accidents have resulted in a number of injuries from whiplash to broken bones and in some cases even death.

Figures revealed in Parliament show that the number of car accidents involving members of parts of the police force have increased by over thirty percent in one year. The Home Office statistics show that in 2007/2007 there were 656 road traffic accidents which involved the police, which is a big increase from the reported figure of 472 the previous year. The majority of these accidents only involved police vehicles but up to 100 accidents did involve other cars as well. Surprisingly only 56 of these accidents occurred whilst the police were responding to emergency calls or in high speed pursuits. The number of people injured however did reach a five year high, with members of the police force sustaining whiplash and other injuries as a result of the accidents.

In response to these figures the Conservative shadow police reform minister has called for a revision to driver training standards, in a bid to reduce the number of accidents and relating injuries. Overall however the police force across Britain do have fewer accidents on the roads than the general public but are still liable to suffer from similar injuries which can be very detrimental to their work. For example, if a police officer sustains a whiplash injury as part of a road traffic accident they could be out of action for many weeks. The longer lasting effects of these types of injuries can also be restricted mobility which may require physiotherapy treatment. In addition they may suffer from headaches and feelings of sickness which are all related symptoms of whiplash. For some police officers the injuries incurred may be very serious and result in them being unable to continue in their line of work. This is a worst case scenario as medical advances mean that often treatment and appropriate care can overtime help officers back to work after an accident, however this is not always the case.

Overall training for police drivers needs to meet a high standard due to the nature of their work. But is the responsibility of all drivers on the roads to behave responsibility and not just think about their own safety but also the safety of others, as the consequences of not doing so can be severe.

Danielle is an author of several articles pertaining to No Win No Fee, Compensation Claims, Whiplash Claims, Personal Injury Claims and other legal articles.