POLICE drivers should not be penalised for driving in the way that they have trained to do, the Chairman of Essex Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Steve Taylor was talking as the Government announced plans to draft new legislation to protect police drivers by the end of the year \u2013 having previously said that existing laws were enough.<\/p>\n
Steve said: \u201cI\u2019m cautiously optimistic, and welcome steps in this direction, but for seven years we\u2019ve been trying to make advantage in this area. We hope they will follow through and we will see a change to the legislation giving police drivers more protection.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs part of the execution of our duty \u2013 to save life and limb, to protect property \u2013 we\u2019re trained to drive in a particular way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI make no distinction in terms of risk between the response driver and the pursuit driver when it comes to the risk they would face, were the worst to happen, when driving exactly the way they\u2019re taught to drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council have agreed a particular training package, and when officers stick to that driving package and officers are involved in accidents, and they\u2019ve driven within the confines of their training and their abilities and the vehicle that they\u2019re in, they can still face criminal prosecution for exercising their duty in the way they\u2019re trained to exercise it. And that\u2019s just not fair.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat puts all the risk on the individual. The individual is similarly at risk if they choose not to drive in the way that they\u2019re taught to drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t a get out of jail free card. This is just simply asking for us to avail ourselves of our training and experience when the time comes, unfortunately, to defend ourselves against criminal prosecution for doing nothing other than our job, trying to keep the people of Essex safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not scaremongering. It happens. It happens up and down the country. It\u2019s happened in our county, and it\u2019s not fair. And that\u2019s why it\u2019s welcome and we need this change in legislation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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