New mobile technology will enhance roads policing initiatives

26 April 2024

The Force’s involvement in a trial of new mobile technology which can detect drivers using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts should be seen as enhancing current roads policing initiatives, according to Northamptonshire Police Federation’s roads policing lead.

Police Constable Jimmy White believes the trial could also help free up time for specialist roads policing officers to concentrate on other parts of their role, such as tackling cross-border crime and policing organised crime groups using the roads network.

“Over the last decade nationally we have seen an under-investment in roads policing, as forces faced budget cuts,” says Jimmy, a Force firearms officer who also has experience in roads policing.

“But this has meant that, while fatalities on our roads have not significantly increased, they have not actually fallen as much as they should have done with the advanced safety measures we now have. Due to the cuts roads policing officers became less and less visible and that has had an impact too.

“Each year around 1,700 people die on the UK’s roads — more than twice the number of deaths from murders and terrorism when added together. On top of this more than 25,000 people are seriously injured in road accidents so roads policing is an incredibly important part of the police service.

“Previously for a period of time within our Force, we only had firearms officers performing a dual role as firearms and traffic officers but two years ago following a decision made by the Chief Constable and supported by the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, traffic was taken back as its own entity and the Roads Policing Team was formed.

“This has led to a much welcomed and long overdue re-investment, not just in officers and training but also in new kit and vehicles. This new trial will help free up our specialist roads policing officers to tackle other criminality on our roads and also play a critical role in improving the safety of all road users.”

The Force now has five teams of seven or eight officers plus a sergeant, working 12-hour shifts to provide a 24/7 roads policing unit for the county’s roads, working alongside the Safer Roads Team of officers and Specials who support with roles such as road safety operations and static camera speed checks.

Jimmy, who has 22 years’ service with the Force with 18 of those as a firearms officer, acts as a regional representative on the Federation’s national Roads Policing Forum where officers from across the country discuss the issues facing roads policing officers and the latest developments in roads policing.

Research shows drivers are four times more likely to crash if they use their phone while driving and twice as likely to die in a road accident if they are not wearing a seatbelt.

The new mobile technology was first rolled out in 2021 with drivers spotted driving without seatbelts or while on the phone being sent warning letters setting out the dangers involved.

In partnership with AECOM, the technology will now be employed by a total of 10 forces – Northamptonshire, Durham, Greater Manchester, Humberside, Norfolk, Staffordshire, Sussex, Thames Valley, West Mercia and Wiltshire – ahead of a potential national roll-out.

The latest trial began in February this year and will run until March 2025. Plans are in place for the technology to be fixed to gantries for the first time giving an unobscured view of all lanes.

“We are 100 per cent behind this trial,” says Jimmy, who became a Police Federation workplace representative around three years ago and went on to become one of the Federation’s national roads policing representatives due to his passion and experience around roads policing, police pursuits plus his own experiences.

“Here in Northants, we are at the centre of a huge motorway network as a central transport hub. Clearly, organised crime groups use our roads, and we need our multi-skilled police officers to tackle these and other criminals using the roads network.

“With two elements of modern-day roads policing covered within this trial, our officers can concentrate on other aspects of their roles, so I very much see this trial as expanding and enhancing our current roads policing capabilities.

“We have a finite number of cops across the Force, let alone within the roads policing unit so this technology will be a boost to our capabilities. It can only be a plus and will enable our officers to concentrate their skills elsewhere to increase road safety and fight crime.”

Jimmy is also supportive of Operation Snap through which the public can submit dashcam footage to report dangerous or illegal driving to most forces across the UK.