Residents in Northamptonshire have been asked to have their say on the way police officers investigate road deaths. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is calling on the public to help shape police policy involving road death investigations.
The move comes as 24 people have already died on the county’s roads so far this year.
The number has already exceeded the 19 deaths in Northamptonshire last year.
Click Road Deaths Map to see where people have been killed on county roads during 2012.
The national consultation has been launched to focus on police standards when responding, reporting and investigating road traffic collisions.
At the end of the review a revised road death investigation strategy and guide will be published which could be in place for the next five years. Assistant Chief Constable Sean White, ACPO lead for the investigation of fatal and life changing road collisions in England and Wales, said: “The police service is committed to preventing and reducing the loss of life or serious injury on our roads. “Long-term trends indicate that together with other agencies we are achieving that ambition. However, in 2011 in England and Wales on average five people still lost their lives on our roads every day, 63 people sustained serious injuries and hundreds of others suffered other injuries.” Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive at Brake, the road safety charity, said it was vital the families of fatal crashes got the care they needed.
She said: “It is critical these families get the help they need, and that we learn from collisions to prevent further tragedies; police work liaising with victims and investigating crashes is fundamental to this.
“We are proud to work with every force in the country to support road crash victims, and pleased to have this opportunity to develop that work further.” The consultation is open until September 7 and comments can be made by filling out a consultation form found at http://www.cleveland.police.uk/contact-us/ManualReview1.aspx or by writing to ACC Sean White via Cleveland Police Headquarters, PO Box 70, Ladgate Lane, Middlesbrough, TS8 9EH.