Why has the British Public fallen out of love with the Police?
The public is alienated. They no longer respect the police. Yet the vast majority of the Police are hard-working individuals wanting to make a difference and help society.
What has gone wrong? – the ‘bad get away with it’ – ‘the good do not’:
It started with ‘speed’ cameras: millions of legally traceable drivers have been ‘criminalised’ by the wholesale issuing of fixed-penalty notices. Then they further alienated the public: the Police took a deliberate decision to focus their resources on more serious crime – the only trouble is they sent a clear signal to rogue drivers that they could now get away with virtually anything, whilst simultaneously forgetting that uninsured / ‘untraceable’ drivers are more likely to be criminals.
Road-Traffic Police have been reduced at the very moment when there are now one and a half million uninsured drivers (so many of them that insurance companies now use them in their advertising). Adding insult to injury, encouraged by the DVLA, hundreds of thousands of motorists have illegally altered their number plates – some so much – that a speed camera will not pick them up – and certainly a witness may fail to identify such a vehicle in a ‘hit and run’. (And the Government deludes itself that ANPR – Automatic Number Plate Recognition – may answer traffic management in the future).
If ever there were a clearer signal that the Police have lost control of our roads – this is it, closely followed by hand-held mobile phone drivers – worse than a drink-driver in terms of loss of concentration – yet ‘civil disobedience’ is so high that millions will drive whilst using their mobile phone.
‘Road-rage’ is at an all-time high, drivers know that they are no longer protected by the Police.
In summary – more than ever – the LAW is for the LAW-ABIDING and the ‘law-abiding’ pay £30 of every insurance policy to pay for uninsured drivers.
What can the Police/Authorities do?
Start listening to a seriously alienated public who are increasingly less inclined to help the Police ..... and start responding by putting more traffic-police back on the roads ..... employ ‘joined up’ thinking ..... according to RoSPA road accidents are estimated to cost Britain £16,000,000,000-00 – that’s sixteen thousand million pounds per annum. One fatal accident prevented saves £1 million, 420 thousand pounds. One serious injury prevented saves £160,000. Factor ‘savings’ made into the calculation of how much a Road Traffic Policeman costs and the benefit of having more of them upon our roads. Consider and implement most of the following policies in the BetterDrivingPlease.com ‘MANIFESTO’.
The BetterDrivingPlease.com ‘MANIFESTO’:
This is what we want .....
-
Switch ‘speed cameras’ off for all but a few ‘random’ minutes a day ..... follow the lead of Sweden and change the public perception of ‘revenue raising’ cameras to ‘safety cameras’ which are there to protect the public from rogue drivers.
-
At least double the number of Road-Traffic Police Officers (not Highway Patrol Officers).
-
Use savings in accident prevention costs to fund these extra Road-Traffic Police Officers.
-
Listen to the public – let the public help the Police to identify/clamp down on uninsured/rogue drivers.
-
Accept reports of dangerous driving on-line – stop turning the public away: let reports from different members of the public build upon registrations – investigate the most reported plates. Apply this thinking to other ‘criminal’ issues.
-
Respond to the public – when you are told of the whereabouts of an uninsured vehicle, or of an incident – attend to it and feedback the outcome to the reporter.
-
Police to change their ‘thinking’ – small things hide bigger issues – recognise this and deal with the ‘small matters’ that matter to us every day. Failure to attend minor accidents and deal with altered number plates sends a clear signal to the public that you are no longer in control. Telling the public you have ‘bigger fish to fry’ does not instil confidence in the Police and encourages rogue/uninsured drivers and furthers criminality.
-
Cut your Public Relations budget – your officers are your public relations department if they can be seen to be out of the Police Station policing responsively, firmly and fairly.
-
Liaise properly with the DVLA – agree with the DVLA if current number plate regulations are to be enforced – otherwise ask for the law to be changed.
-
Stop the DVLA encouraging illegal registrations through their auctions – eg. BL45 TER in their last auction.
-
Liaise with the DVLA –and ASKMID – employing joined-up thinking between databases – there are hundreds of thousands of motorists, without tax or insurance, escaping prosecution who are capable of being identified.
-
Employ discretion: Stop ‘easy’ prosecutions of the law abiding – start prosecuting law breakers.
-
Stop policing by ‘targets’.
-
Stop all campaigns that pay ‘lip-service’ to problems e.g. ‘Operation Larch’ and the DVLA ‘we know where you are’ advertisements that nobody believes.
-
A driving licence is a privilege – not a ‘right’ – lobby for every motorist, regardless of age, to undertake a practical ‘driver awareness reassessment’ every five years. Courses through to re-tests for those that fail the standard.
-
Fines for mobile-phone drivers to be increased to £1000 and 6 points on licence – mobile phone drivers are dangerous drivers; more dangerous than drink-drivers in terms of loss of concentration according to research.
-
Standardisation of 50mg alcohol limit across Europe.
-
Lobby Parliament not to introduce more ‘unenforceable laws’ such as ‘teens’ drivers not being able to carry passengers at night. Such ideas may be worth consideration – but first - let’s start to police current laws properly without creating more laws which will be disregarded.
We welcome member’s further suggestions for additions to the ‘BDP Manifesto’ to improve road-safety in the UK, reduce criminality and increase social responsibility.
What can you do?
Tell your friends - Create pressure for change - Embarrass the Police, help them to regain our respect: If you see an incident report it, preferably at a Police Station – but if you know that the Police will do nothing – join BetterDrivingPlease, tell your friends – and report it now ...
Return to Front Page
