Government Must Reverse Falling Traffic Police Numbers - Kramer

11.28.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 29th Nov 2007

The Liberal Democrats have called for action to tackle drink-driving all year round, ahead of the launch of the Government's annual Christmas campaign today [Friday].

Figures show that there has been a big fall in the number of traffic police on Britain's streets and in the number of breath tests being conducted in the last decade, while the number of people killed in drink-drive related incidents has risen.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Susan Kramer MP, said:

"The problem in the UK is getting worse, while countries like Germany and the Czech Republic are successfully reducing drink-drive deaths.

"But here in England the number of road traffic police has fallen between 2000 and 2006. The Government needs to take this seriously all year round.

"Drink-driving laws should not just be enforced at Christmas time. With rising deaths, the Government must reverse the fall in traffic police numbers."

Notes

1. Research by the Liberal Democrats this summer found that there has been an 11% fall in the total number of road traffic police in England between 2000 and 2006 and a 29% fall in the number of breath tests between 1997 and 2004. Between 1997 and 2005 there was a 6% increase in the number of people killed in reported personal-injury drink-drive accidents between 1997.

2. Research by the European Transport Safety Council found that in the Czech Republic road deaths from drink driving crashes dropped 11.3% faster than deaths from other crashes, Germany 6.2% and Poland 5.6% faster. In Britain the same analysis showed a 2% rise in deaths from drink driving crashes compared to deaths from other crashes.

3. Links to the Parliamentary answers are below:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070723/text/70723w0006.htm#07072411000877

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070725/text/70725w0026.htm#0707266001064m