Police car deaths: Review of 999 and pursuit driving

Crime Watch(wp/bbc):::
The way police cars are driven for 999 calls and pursuits will be reviewed after four deaths involving patrol vehicles in four days, a watchdog said.

Four people died in crashes in Warwickshire, Sandwell, London and Leicester from Wednesday to Saturday.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it would look for improvements in policy and procedure.

The AA welcomed the review and said the recent deaths could indicate a rise in the use of vehicles in crime.

The four people who died in the crashes involving police vehicles are:

• Paul Radcliffe, an 18-year-old student, was hit by a car which had earlier failed to stop for police in Oadby, Leicestershire, on Saturday
• Off-duty PCSO Holly Burke, 28, was struck by a car being pursued by police in Bearwood, in Sandwell in the West Midlands, on Tuesday
• A 26-year-old refugee from Eritrea died when she was hit by a 999 response car in Walthamstow on the same day
• Jessie Whitehead, 74, was riding a mobility scooter when she was hit by a marked car as it responded to an emergency call in Warwickshire on Wednesday
• Ian Todd, IOPC deputy director general, said: "The death of even one person on the roads, let alone four in such a short space of time, will be of concern.
  "While there has been a spate of road traffic fatalities over the past week, deaths and serious injuries following pursuits and emergency responses are thankfully rare in comparison to the large number of such incidents police are involved in on a daily basis."
  He said each death would be investigated "based on their own unique sets of circumstances".
  • Three police car deaths in 24 hours
  Mr Todd said the IOPC would examine whether the police drivers were suitably trained and followed agreed policies and procedures.
  "We will also look to see if there are changes and improvements which can be made to those procedures to reduce the risks of deaths and serious injuries in the future."
  Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "The apparent increase in incidents may reflect the growth of the use of vehicles in general crime.
  "This is one reason why we call for more cops in cars as they can help to apprehend the culprits of crimes and their presence can act as a deterrent."

  

  Nick Lloyd, acting head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said he welcomed the review.
  "It would make a lot of sense for good practice to be shared across all police forces any measures to improve safety rolled out right across forces.
  "It's also important to remember how the wider public react to blue lights not just car users but pedestrians and cyclists."
  Joshua Harris, from road safety charity Brake, said: "We would encourage police chiefs to review and update their guidance for their officers who are responding to emergency calls or engaged in 'blue light' pursuits."