Sussex Police encourage vigilance and tolerance on Brighton's streets

17 December 2008

Brighton and Hove’s Road Police Unit (RPU) has been working successfully with the Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company to encourage safe driving on city streets. The call for increased vigilance and tolerance of all road users comes in response to some complaints from the public earlier this year.

With more buses, pedestrians and cyclists on the road and an increased apparent trend in pedestrians’ use of mp3 players and mobile phones whilst crossing roads, the number of road casualties in the area has been rising. With this in mind and with the support of driving managers, officers from the RPU contacted local bus drivers to discuss some of the problems of city driving, whilst also making public appeals through local media for greater awareness of potential hazards. While it is hard to measure the exact effects of the recent collaboration, casualty figures did fall over the summer months.

Inspector Clarke from RPU said “I see continuing engagement with the bus company as essential to promoting road safety and reducing casualties within the City. We are now looking at ways for our Casualty Reduction Team to join Brighton & Hove Buses ‘Safer School Travel’ scheme which is an educational programme regarding safety and anti-social behaviour aimed at youngsters who use buses to travel to and from school.”