Cumbria police has launched a dedicated roads policing unit.
The change will see the constabulary move away from officers operating in a dual role as roads policing and firearms officers and Cumbria Police will have an additional 20 officers dedicated solely to roads policing.
Chief Constable Rob Carden said: “Too many people are killed or seriously injured on our roads and too often it is as a result of poor driving behaviour, including people drink or drug driving, people being distracted at the wheel and people driving too fast for the road or the conditions.
“Cumbria Police is committed to leading the way on targeting those who are making our roads unsafe for all.
“We have been taking innovative approaches to making our roads safer, including through the use of data analytics and working with partners to target poor driving habits, as with Operation Tramline.
“But we have no greater resource than our officers, which is why we are making this commitment to a dedicated Roads Policing Unit, with dedicated officers who will work day-in and day-out to make our county’s roads safer.”
Inspector Jack Stabler said: “Having officers dedicated to the new unit is an investment in our commitment to making significant improvements to road safety across Cumbria.
“We have already relaunched the Road Safety Partnership with our colleagues in other agencies coming together regularly to look at where the danger hotspots are in Cumbria and how we can make a difference – from targeted enforcement to looking at the road itself and whether safety improvements can be made.
“A week of action will mark the launch of the new Roads Policing Unit but will be far from a one-off. These 20 dedicated officers will be out on our county’s roads day and night on the lookout for those who are driving dangerously and putting lives at risk.”
