The AA has called for Yvette Cooper to appoint 1,000 new officers to police roads amid fears that many drivers are getting away with motoring offences.
The motoring association issued the plea after its analysis of Home Office figures found the number of traffic officers in England and Wales has fallen by 1,022 – from 5,237 in 2016 to 4,215 in March this year.
In a recent survey, 57 per cent of AA members said they believe people can get away with careless driving due to a lack of police presence on the roads.
Many respondents say that other offences including using a handheld phone behind the wheel and drug-driving are going unpunished because of the reduction in officers.
Nine out of ten said more traffic police would make communities safer.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper arrives at Downing Street for a Cabinet Meeting on September 9, 2024
An AA roadside assistance van helps the driver of a damaged vehicle
The AA said it welcomed the increased use of AI cameras, which can detect offences beyond speeding, but warned that roads policing cannot be carried out by cameras alone.
The AI-powered camera, developed by Australian road safety company Acusensus, can detect whether drivers are either using a mobile phone or driving without a seatbelt.
After the AI flags a possible offence, separate teams within AECOM will make an initial and secondary review of the data.
Cases will only be handed over to the police if both teams agree that a the driver was likely to have been in breach of the law.
During one of the earliest deployments in Devon and Cornwall, almost 300 drivers were found using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts in just three days.
Despite the rapid development of AI traffic cops, Labour’s election manifesto pledged to recruit ‘thousands’ of officers to tackle neighbourhood crime.
The AA’s Jack Cousens said: ‘Be it driving offences or wider crime, public opinion suggests that too many people are simply getting away it.
‘It’s clear that the public want to see more bobbies on the beat, so the Government’s ambition to increase the number of police officers is welcome.
‘We believe there should be a wider approach to tackling crime and that more cops in cars could produce safer communities as well as safer roads.
‘A clear and visible presence is a deterrent itself to ensure better standards of driving, as well as sending a warning signal to criminals that the chances of being caught are higher than before.
Nine out of ten respondents to an AA traffic survey said more traffic police would make communities safer
The AA said it welcomed the increased use of AI cameras, which can detect offences beyond speeding including whether a driver is using their phone behind the wheel. Pictured: An AI camera looming above Mancunian Way on September 5, 2024
During one of the earliest deployments in Devon and Cornwall, new AI-powered cameras caught almost 300 drivers using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts in just three days
‘Most traffic cops catch other crimes in the act, such as discovering stolen goods, through routine stops.
‘Similarly, a camera can spot the speeding driver, but it can’t stop them if they are under the influence of drink or drugs.
‘Investment in traffic officers does more than improve road safety, it produces safer neighbourhoods too.’
A government spokesman said: ‘Under the joint roads policing review, we are collaborating on a range of pilots which will test improvements to roads policing capabilities.’