NEWS TIM DRIVES LEGAL CHANGE TO PROTECT


Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is being asked to support a change in legislation which could give better protection to the police when they stop vehicles. It’s after a series of incidents in which officers have been seriously injured by drivers making off during a police stop. Tim Rogers (pictured), the


Federation’s Pursuits and Driver Training Lead, is heading a campaign to amend two sections of the Road Traffic Act 1988 which would give police officers the authority to require drivers to turn off their engine when stopped, and also to demand that all occupants leave a vehicle. “Sadly, incidents in which officers


are injured by drivers fleeing during a police stop are happening more and more as people appear content to use their vehicles as a weapon in their bid to escape


justice,” says Tim, who is Deputy Secretary of West Midlands Police Federation. “Clearly, police officers are vulnerable.


As servants of the Crown, they should rightly expect the Government to prioritise their safety and ensure that safety is enshrined in law.” The Federation wants the


Department for Transport to get behind changes to the Road Traffic Act as part of the Police Powers and Protections Bill which is due to come before Parliament in the autumn. It is calling for the bill to include:


l An amendment to S163 of the Road Traffic Act to extend the obligation on motorists to stop to an obligation to stop and switch off the engine


l An amendment to S164 of the Road Traffic Act to require occupants to get out of a vehicle when required to do so by a police officer. In the letter to Mr Shapps, Tim explains: “Our legal advice confirms that these


changes could be implemented by minor amendments to the existing sections and would not involve a significant curtailment of existing civil liberties. “While it is currently an offence to fail


to stop for a constable in uniform, once the vehicle has stopped, the obligation on the driver is satisfied – they only need to stop. Under S164, an officer can require people to provide information and documents. “But this means the officer has to get out of their own vehicle to make the request or check any documents produced. This puts them in an incredibly vulnerable position since the driver can make off and use the vehicle as a weapon, as all too often is the case. This unwarranted risk to police officers could be minimised by creating an obligation on those in the stopped vehicle to get out when asked by an officer to do so.” Tim has already led a successful


Federation campaign for a change in the


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22 | POLICE | OCTOBER 2020


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