News that BMW has halted sales of vehicles to UK police forces has been welcomed by the wife of a police officer killed in a crash.
Nick Dumphreys, 47, suffered fatal injuries when his car – a BMW 330 – veered across the motorway and crashed near Carlisle on the afternoon of January 26 2020.
This week, Car Dealer has reported that BMW would move away from supplying police forces.
BMW said the problem with the N57 engine was down to the ‘particular way’ police use the vehicles and that there was ‘no need for action on any civilian vehicles’, Car Dealer said.
His wife Kathryn said: “Although it is too little too late for Nick and our family, BMW’s decision to stop supplying cars to UK police forces with immediate effect is the first step in the right direction.
“It is glaringly obvious that these cars were not, and in my view are still not fit or safe for UK policing purposes.
“This is finally the correct decision and given that BMW were fully aware of the risks in the years prior to Nick’s death – as the inquest into his death heard – it is the action that should have been taken years ago.
“As we heard during the inquest, the rate of the engine failures in these BMWs – between five and seven a month from 2014 to 2017 – was described by the independent engineering expert as extraordinary and by the coroner as startling.
“I firmly believe that had these cars been withdrawn from UK policing years ago – as they should have been – Nick would still be alive.
“I am relieved that the safety of our officers and the public is finally being taken seriously.
“The spotlight is now firmly upon all UK police forces to prioritise safety and take immediate action to stop using all BMW cars.
“The National Police Chiefs Council know the facts, so why do they still require our officers to drive these cars – which have proved to be dangerous – nearly three years after Nick’s death? It is appalling and insulting.”
