The Roads Policing Seminar is a chance to assess the impact of new police driving laws, says South Wales Police Federation chair Steve Treharne.

Steve is encouraging members who are police drivers to attend the seminar, where possible, to understand the new legislation and how it is working in practice.

After years of campaigning by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), new regulations came into effect in November 2022, which set out the prescribed training that will give police drivers the better protection in law afforded to them under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.

The law now takes into account the high standards of training received by police drivers, which means their driving is no longer judged to the same standard of the careful and competent driving member of public.

Any manoeuvre performed must be within the driver’s training, and officers must be up to date with their training.

PFEW's Roads Policing Seminar features a session titled: 'New driving legislation - does deliver better protection for officers?' which will explore the new law and forces’ progress in meeting its requirements. 

Steve said: “The Federation long campaigned for better legal protection for police drivers, and that should have been afforded them through the 2022 Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.

Legislation

“But is that the reality? Are forces complying with the legislation? Are police drivers getting the training they need? What is the reality now that the legislation has been in place for more than a year?

“If you are a member who is a police driver, then I’d encourage you, if possible, to attend because it promises to be a really interesting and important session.”

The Roads Policing Seminar takes place online on 30 January and registration is now open.

Supported by Slater and Gordon Solicitors, it is a chance to engage with those in the roads policing sector, share experiences, discuss best practice, and steer the direction of roads policing for the future.

Topics also include forensic collision investigation, health and safety around electric vehicles, and a debate on the future of roads policing.

The full agenda is available here.

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