For the first time in a decade, the number of people who were killed or seriously injured in road accidents in Great Britain has increased. Road accidents are now the main cause of accidental death for young people aged 16-24. Yet, despite this, roads policing is arguably under-prioritised and under-resourced; it is not included in the Home Office’s Business Plan fr 2012-2015 and, in the last five years, the number of police officers engaged in traffic policing has fallen by 12% while overall policing numbers have declined by just 2%.

The Forum considered the following questions:

• Do perceptions of road safety have a role to play?
• How can the police improve road safety?
• What role should the government and Police and Crime Commissioners play?
• What are the most cost-effective solutions?