Police pursuit deaths triple

[squirrelz]

Anyone see this on the news today?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_2069000/2069362.stm

So while the politicians are focusing on the rest of us, where the death rate is steady, or falling (depending on who you ask), the number of people slaughtered by the upholders of the law increases by 200%......

[craigalsop]

To me it is an obvious result of the government reducing the onus on the pedestrian to look out for themselves - e.g. "I have a perfect right to walk here, so I don't need to check my surroundings"
The answer isn't to apply speed cameras, but more training for both pedestrians and drivers....

My tuppence worth
Craig

[ianpicknell]

quote:slaughtered

It's a shame you decided against using an emotive term, eh, squirrelz?

[squirrelz]

just trying to provoke some response..... sorry 'bout that.

I think the figures are small enough to be a statistical blip, actually, and I've not seen anything that goes into any depth yet.

I'd put money on the majority of them being panda cars driven by non-traffic officers, or joe public not being aware of whats going on, etc etc.

All the traffic officers I've met have been some of the safest people you'd want on the roads, although I've heard that madcop's a bit of a nutter

[PetrolTed]

Watching how people cross the road these days it's no wonder there are more getting knocked down. I watch people cross the side roads opposite here and half the people don't even look before crossing to see if anyone is turning off the main road.

[Don]

Did you the crud the report was spouting though? Managers in the control room should make the decision whether or not to give chase.

Hmmn so how can they assess the situation better when they're not even there...? Now I know they may have a more level head than the poor cop whose watching some scrote dissappear into the distance and wants to catch him but...isn't there enough beauracracy getting in the way of justice, already.. ?

IMO 2p worth etc

[hertsbiker]

So what you're really saying is that the majority of NEW road death percentile increases is due to the boys in blue?

I wonder how many times speed is attributed to these accidents, or if everyone else gets hte blame?

And no, I'm not knocking the decent plods here, just wondering how these figures can be justified.

Another thing that makes me wonder - on one thread, we talk about bikers not wearing protective gear, well, why shouldn't pedestrians be expected to wear armour as well. Never know when they may choose to throw themselves in front of a car !!!

rgds.

[Graham and Rosie]

The figures can be justified due to the fact it is the idiots the police are chasing that are getting killed - not much the police can do about that, I mean, it's not like the police ran over them or anything

I think it would be farer to split this in to 2 categories: 1) people killed by a police car hitting them or thier car 2) numpties who try to outrun the police and only succeed in outrunning their driving abilities

I know which ones would get my sympathies.....

Graham

[john robson]

It's a no win situation. If police pursuits are banned the scroats will simply put their foot down knowing that if they drive dangerously we will back off. They are already aware of some of the rules like us not following down the wrong carriageway of motorways and dual carriagways which is why they do it. As far as figures go the number of people killed by police cars is low when compared to the overall number of road deaths. Even if pursuits were outlawed there would be accidents involving police vehicles which would result in deaths. If it were left to me the penalty for failing to stop for a police vehicle and driving dangerously whilst doing so would be the same as for attempted murder, the possible outcome is no different. Furthermore when the S*!t hit the fan and a pursuit ends in a death why is it the blame seems to come back on the cop following the scroat, what do the public really want when a car goes flying past a cop car at 80mph + in a 30 limit, Should we just sit back have another brew and turn out 10 mins later to the inevitable RTA hoping it not a fatal

[madcop]

Look at Teds rant on support your local plod to see my views on this.

So I am renounned as a bit of a nutter then!!

>> Edited by madcop on Monday 1st July 12:04

[squirrelz]

Ok, you got me there.
A lot of a nutter......