An officer from Surrey Police’s new Vanguard Road Safety Team sprang into action on his very first day in the role by arresting an unsuspecting drug driver, weeks before the team’s official launch.
The new road crime reduction team will not officially launch until the Autumn, once it is at full capacity, but this didn’t stop determined PC Wakefield from hitting the ground running in his new post.
“Excited to make a difference in my new role and equipped with intelligence surrounding a suspected drug driver, I started my shift and off I went.”
“Whilst the Vanguard Road Safety Team is not yet fully staffed, we are out there, and we will apprehend anybody presenting as a danger to themself or others on the roads.
“Sometimes you may see us and sometimes you may not, as we operate marked and unmarked vehicles, but those who abide by the law have no need to be concerned about our whereabouts.”
Once fully operational, the team of 10 police constables and two sergeants will work to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on Surrey’s roads by targeting and reducing road crime.
The team will work hard to reduce the ‘Fatal 5’ – the leading contributory factors in collisions. These are:
– Inappropriate speed
– Not wearing a seatbelt
– Driving under the influence of drink or drugs
– Distracted driving, such as using a mobile phone behind the wheel
– Careless driving
With the support of a casualty data researcher and a communications specialist, the Vanguard Road Safety Team will target specific collision hotspot locations around the county and individuals, where information or intelligence suggests their driving causes a risk of harm to themselves or others.
In addition, the team will actively engage with the public through various means, including social media educational programmes and large public events.
Since 2009, the number of collisions in Surrey resulting in death or injury plateaued, but in more recent years, despite restrictions on travel during the Covid-19 pandemic, the numbers have increased.
In 2020, 28 people were killed and 571 were seriously injured on Surrey’s roads.
Sergeant Pascoe from Vanguard Road Safety Team, said: “It’s time to take action and do something different to tackle these rising road deaths and injuries. Each and every crash is preventable and behind every victim is a family, friends and a community left devastated.
“All road users need to take extra care when using the roads to avoid coming to the attention of our new team, but most importantly to play their part in preventing future road collisions.”
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