'Highly visible' policing of roads pledge

The approach, agreed by the Home Office, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), was outlined ahead of yesterday's second reading of the Road Safety Bill in the House of Commons.

Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, said: "This clear and shared commitment to policing the roads is backed up by the Road Safety Bill. There can be no doubt that we are committed to enforcing existing laws, and measures contained in the Bill, to ensure that everyone can use the road safely and without intimidation.

"We've had significant success in recent years at reducing the number of casualties on our roads. But we can and will do even better. Unlawful and anti-social behaviour on the road is not acceptable."

A spokesperson for the DfT added: "The Road Policing Strategy, which is part of the National Policing Plan, clearly sets out the police commitment to deal with all forms of illegal and anti social use of the roads, including drink driving, speeding and dangerous or careless driving and behaviour."

Enforcing the law

The Government and police have faced criticism recently amid claims of an "over-reliance" on speed cameras. Organisations such as the RAC Foundation, have raised concerns that this may have led to other serious offences, such as drink-driving, being neglected.

The joint strategy makes commitments such as "denying criminals use of the roads by enforcing the law", "reducing anti social use of the roads" and "enhancing public confidence and reassurance by patrolling the roads".

Home Office minister, Caroline Flint, commented: "A key element in the strategy is the increased use of new technology such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition Technology (ANPR). Officers using ANPR make nine times the number of arrests and contribute to three times the number of offenders brought to justice compared with a conventional officer.

"But, technology is not the whole picture. The strategy will ensure that there is an adequate police presence on the roads to deal with significant problems which cannot be detected by technology, including drink and drug driving, and to help wider crime reduction."

Second reading

Meanwhile, the Government faced criticism in the Commons yesterday afternoon as the Road Safety Bill received its second reading.

Rob Marris, Labour MP for Wolverhampton South West, said that while he supported the idea of graduated penalties for speeding offences, he was "bemused" by plans to reduce to two the number of penalty points for motorists travelling slightly above the limits. "We might be sending the wrong message," he said.

Shadow transport secretary Tim Yeo said that while the Conservatives would not force a vote at second reading there were a number of areas where they would like to see the Bill changed.

He said a Tory government would launch an assessment of what could be done to reduce accidents on high risk and medium risk roads. Another issue not addressed in the Bill was the fact that young men were more likely to be killed in road accidents.

He added that the Tories supported lower speed limits outside schools but would consider raising the limit to 80mph on some motorways.

He also questioned why the Government wanted to ban devices which detected speed radars and cameras, arguing that they helped drivers to obey the law by giving them advance warning of high risk stretches of road.