Cuts in funding to police forces across the UK run the risk of reducing safety for road users and allowing unsafe drivers to get away with illegal practices, it has been argued.
Road safety charity Brake has decried the government's reduction in funding for the police, which has led to a 1.8 per cent reduction in the number of officers policing the UK's roads since 2007, meaning dangerous motorists are less likely to be caught in the act.
Julie Townsend, Brake's deputy chief executive, said: "Investing in roads policing and stepping up critical checks like breath-testing helps stop crashes before they happen, meaning less families suffering and reduced costs to the taxpayer."
She noted that offences like speeding and drink-driving should not go unpunished, but with fewer officers on the beat, it is becoming more difficult than ever to clampdown on dangerous motorists.
"We all know the consequences of drivers who fail to heed the rules of the road or drive with complete disregard for others. The cost of cutting back far outweighs the benefits of investing in protecting a key front line service," added Alan Jones, chairman of the Roads Policing Group for the Police Federation England & Wales.
The news follows a recent clampdown on drink-driving over the festive period, with figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers showing 7,124 motorists across the UK were arrested during December 2011 as a result of failing drink and drug-driving tests.
Overall, 4.55 per cent of those tested were found to be over the legal alcohol limit, with Kevin Clinton, head of road safety for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents claiming it is a disappointing result given the message that people should not drink and drive has been publicised for more than the last three decades.
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