Northamptonshire Liberal Democrat prospective Police and Crime Commissioner candidate, Paul Varnsverry, supports the consultation on road safety by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and calls for more action to be taken in Northamptonshire.

Paul said “More tragic deaths have occurred on Northamptonshire’s roads in 2012 to date, than during the whole of 2011. This makes road safety a high priority in our county.”

“ACPO’s consultation, seeking the public’s views on how the police are addressing road safety, is to be applauded. Locally, I believe there is much more we must do; in particular in improving driving standards. Education is key to preventing accidents. It is important to work with groups such as the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and campaign groups, such as Brake. The insurance industry has ended its premium discount incentive for newly-qualified drivers taking the Pass Plus course. As a consequence, applications have plummeted by almost 30%. They should reinstate the discount.”

“By encouraging drivers to take practical steps to improve their driving skills, accidents at all levels of severity could be reduced or prevented. This is where the IAM and RoSPA have a vital role to play. We must make our roads safer and address the tragic human cost of road traffic collisions.”

Notes to editors:
The consultation launched by ACPO is covered here: http://www.northampton-news-hp.co.uk/News/Northampton-News/Road-death-policy-needs-your-views-08082012.htm

The consultation is open until September 7, 2012 and comments can be made by filling out a consultation form via the Cleveland Police website: http://www.cleveland.police.uk/contact-us/ManualReview1.aspx or by writing to ACC Sean White via Cleveland Police Headquarters, PO Box 70, Ladgate Lane, Middlesbrough, TS8 9EH.

Paul Varnsverry is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

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