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Speeding Police Officers Escaping Punishment
Tue, 16 Feb 2010

Cops in the UK are getting away with speeding, according to new figures published by The Sun.

The data, obtained under The Freedom of Information Act, shows that over 88,000 incidents involving an on-duty officer were detected last year, but just 158 were convicted, with most receiving a £60 fine and three points on their driving licence .

In greater London, some 48,544 Metropolitan Police officers were flashed by a speed camera while on duty. However, only 26 were charged for their motoring offence .

Greater Manchester Police issued 33 speeding tickets to officers, despite almost 16,000 cases, while nearly 10,000 speeding offences by cops in the West Midlands resulted in just seven charges.

The statistics also reveal that not a single police office in Gloucestershire, Merseyside and Wiltshire was punished for speeding, despite over 4,000 cases being reported.

In Britain, emergency service vehicles are legally allowed to ignore speed limits, but only if obeying them would hamper their duties.

But the high number of police let-offs has caused concern from road safety experts, especially as recent figures from the Independent Police Complaints Commission show road accidents involving police cars increased from 24 to 40 in 2008/09.

Road safety charity Brake said: "Speed is the biggest killer on our roads. Offenders need to be held accountable for their behaviour."
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