Plans to set up a Fatal Five unit to tackle anti-social driving in Sussex are being explored by the Police & Crime Commissioner.
During a performance & accountability meeting with Chief Constable Jo Shiner, Katy Bourne said a business case was being developed and further details would follow.
The Fatal Five are the behaviours which are considered to be the main contributors to serious crashes and deaths on the road.
They are: drink and drug driving, speeding, using a mobile phone whilst driving, careless driving, and not wearing a seatbelt.
According to data from the Department for Transport, 1,046 people were killed or seriously injured on Sussex roads in 2023.
Every summer, Sussex Police launches Operation Downsway, aimed at reducing those figures and targeting people who drive in an anti-social or irresponsible manner.
The Chief Constable reported that motorcyclists made up less than 2% of road users in the UK but equated to around 20% of the fatalities.
She highlighted the five key objectives of Operation Downsway when it came to motorbikes:
- To reduce the number of collisions involving motorbikes that resulted in people being killed or seriously injured
- To reduce the reports of anti-social riding
- Raise public confidence in policing by the use of engagement and enforcement in hot-spots
- Using technology and communication to enhance engagement opportunities
- To make sure national campaigns are part of the work done by Sussex Police
She added:
“A lot of the riding by motorcyclists is very responsible – I would stress that because this is not about persecuting motor cyclists.
“This is about trying to stop them from being killed on the roads.”
The Chief Constable stressed the need for personal responsibility from everyone from pedestrians to bikers to lorry drivers – not just for the safety of themselves but for others on the road.
She added:
“That includes not just your actual driving behaviour but making sure you are not under the influence of drink and drugs, you are making sure that your passengers wear your seatbelts, that you’re not speeding, that you’re not using your mobile phone, and that you’re not driving in an anti-social manner.
“If everybody took personal responsibility for their behaviour in the public space, where there are other, often vulnerable, road users, undoubtedly it would reduce the number who are killed and seriously injured.”
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