Two-thirds of motoring convictions are for speeding

The number of traffic officers policing our roads is down by 30 per cent compared to 2010, new research has revealed. Plummeting patrols: The number of traffic officers policing roads in England and Wales are down by 30 per cent, according to a new investigation According to AutoExpress, West Midlands forces have been hardest hit by the cull. The research analysed car insurance convictions data gathered on its website over the last year, revealing that speeding or speed-related convictions made up 66 per cent of all those currently on record. In 2013, Lotus provided forces in East Anglia with this Evora S over the Christmas period to help engage with motorists about the dangers of drink driving Depleting fleet: The sight of a traffic officer on the road is becoming rarer, according to AutoExpress' research 'Individual police forces decide themselves how best to allocate resources and keep their communities safe,' the spokesperson told AutoExpress. THE DRIVING CONVICTIONS THAT HAVE RISEN AND FALLEN IN A YEAR OCT13-SEPT14 OCT14-SEPT15 Driving Offence Group Rate per 1000 Offence proportion Rate per 1000 Offence proportio n Speeding & Speed Related 15.92 65.2% 15.20 65.7% Careless, Reckless, and Unfit Driving/Accidents 3.28 13.4% 2.88 12.5% Licence & Insurance Offences 1.77 7.3% 1.89 8.1% Situational Driving Offences 1.93 7.9% 1.61 7.0% Drink or Drugs & Related 1.09 4.5% 1.11 4.8% Miscellaneous & Theft 0.42 1.7% 0.45 1.9% Total Offences 24.42 100% 23.14 100% Based on claims history provided in MoneySuperMarket quotes from 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015 Interestingly, rates of speeding and careless driving — both of which can be enforced by traffic officers — declined over the last year, but licence and insurance-related crime mainly controlled by computer databases were on the up.