Road safety charity Brake has revealed that from 2007 to 2011, the number of traffic police officers has reduced by 11.6% compared to 1.8% for general police officer reductions. The figures were taken from 43 Police forces.

The news comes after ACPO, the Association of Chief Police Officers, released statistics from their summer drink drive campaign which revealed that the number of drivers who tested positive had increased on the same time last year.

As well as more roads policing, Brake would like to see a zero tolerance drink drive limit and a quicker introduction of roadside drug driving screening devices.

There were 508 traffic officers in 2007-08, this dropped to 356 in 2009-10. This comes at a time when the DfT is calling for the Police to stop and fine drivers for offences such as tail-gating and undertaking under new proposals for careless driving offences. Without an increase in road traffic Police levels these proposals could become more or less useless.

The move will mean that Police will be able to carry out a drug test for evidence without having to get permission from a doctor. It is thought that the first units could be operational within a few months. Brake, the road safety charity, has stated that more needs to be done to clamp down on drug-driving, perhaps with the introduction of road side testing units as already used by police forces in other countries.

The teenagers posted the video of the 12 mile night time joyride in the bus which caused £30,000 worth of damage along the A345 in Amesbury. The footage shows the male driver’s face after the bus crashed into a tree. Police have said that the consequences could have been far worse had they taken the bus during the day.

The device, named an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), was used to catch two car thieves in thick fog with its thermal imaging camera. The CAA has said that the Police cannot use the device without proper permission and a licence and will investigate the drone, which can fly up to 400ft and at 30mph, to ensure it meets with current regulations.

The MET Police had the highest level of speeding offences, nearly 50,000, but with only 26 officers charged, most getting £60 fine and 3 penalty points. Merseyside, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire had a combined total of speeding through traffic cameras of nearly 5,000 – no officers were prosecuted in these areas. Emergency vehicles are allowed to exceed the speed limits if sticking to the limit would hinder their duties.

The man built the illegal beer crate on wheels using a one cylinder engine. He was chased by German police after breaking the speed limit and tried to outrun them in a forest but got stuck in deep mud. The police confiscated the machine after congratulating the biker on his workmanship.

The Police are allowed to stop anyone, without having a reason, driving or trying to drive a car on the public highway. Failing to stop is a criminal offence. If stopped by the police they can ask for you to provide your driving licence and insurance, name and date of birth. If you do not have your driving documents with you it is generally the case that the Police will issue a HORT1 or producer. This gives you 7 days to produce your documents at a Police Station nominated by you.