Better Protection For Police Drivers

PLANS to provide better protection for police drivers when they are in pursuit and responding to 999 calls are being backed by South Yorkshire Police Federation.

Currently, police drivers are subject to the same legal test on ‘careless and dangerous driving’ as members of the public, meaning officers’ specialist training and experience does not carry weight in mitigation.

A change in that legal test is being backed by the public, a Home Office consultation has revealed, and a change in the law could be in the pipeline.

Steve Kent, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: “[The public consultation result] is really positive.

“We need to get it moved forward, and now this is a springboard for it to be sorted.

“We welcome it because it gives police officers that protection they’ve needed. It took way too long, but let’s get it rushed through. Even with Brexit, we need to prioritise it so officers can go out there and do their job properly.”

Getting the legal test changed will help police drivers make the split-second decisions they have to take while in pursuit or responding to 999 call outs, Steve said.

He added: “It would give officers the confidence to do what they need to do. It also can give out the message to criminals that they’re not going to be able to act with impunity just because they put themselves at risk.

“If they choose to put themselves at risk then, if the risk assessments are followed correctly, the officers can still do their best to try and catch them.

“That’s massively important because criminals have used vehicles as tactics because they know the risk-averse nature of officers because they’re not legally protected. It’s as simple as that.

“The fact the public are backing it shows that they are more aware and supportive than perhaps officers think.”