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From : HERE
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... -cars.html
More than nine accidents a day caused by police cars
More than nine accidents a day on Britain's roads are caused by police cars, new figures have disclosed.
By Richard Edwards, Crime Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:35PM BST 04 May 2009

Officers admitted causing 3,357 crashes last year – an average of more than 64 a week - many of which were caused by basic driving errors.
Accidents were caused by failing to stop at junctions, doing U-turns without looking, taking bends too quickly and failing to use mirrors when reversing.

The figures, obtained under Freedom of Information Act, asked all forces in Britain how many crashes they had admitted liability for.
They showed that 2,492 of the victims involved were driving another vehicle, with 126 needing hospital treatment.
Safety campaigners said that the numbers were "shocking" and urged reform of police driving guidelines to be implemented.

Previous figures have estimated that more than 150 people have died in police-related car accidents since 2004, including 79 during pursuits.
Last week, traffic officer John Dougal was jailed for three years for knocking down and killing Hayley Adamson, 16, in his speeding patrol car in Newcastle last May.
Dougal, an advanced police driver, was travelling at 94mph in a 30mph zone without blue lights or sirens.
An Independent Police Complaints Commission report in 2007 criticised officers for taking unnecessary risks in high-speed chases and called for compulsory national guidelines to be drawn up by the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers.
Recommendations included giving control rooms a bigger role in deciding when a chase was necessary – and that only suitably trained drivers should engage in pursuits.
But since then national rules on police chases have not been implemented.
Cathy Keeler, deputy chief executive of Brake, said: "The high number of crashes caused by simple driver errors is shocking.
"We urge all police forces to follow best practice by making road safety an issue to champion right from the top."
A spokesman for Acpo said: "There are clear national standards for police driver training and comprehensive manuals for its delivery. "The training is robust and the importance of safety and proportionality is a feature of any driver training course.
"These figures must also be viewed in the context of the fact there are tens of thousands of police vehicles on the road."

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