Ministers to make road safety a priority

The Government today promised to step up the policing of roads with national campaigns to combat drink and drug-driving and enforce the law on seat belts.

Ministers promised to keep a "highly visible police presence on the roads" after years of diverting traffic police into other priorities such as fighting street crime.

The strategy also pledges fresh targets to cut speeding along with a new goal to boost the confidence of road users.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling was unveiling the document as the Road Safety Bill came before MPs for its second reading debate. The Bill would cut penalties for motorists caught going just over the limit, with stiffer penalties for more serious offenders.

It would allow road-side breath tests to be used as evidence in court and fit "alcohol locks" to cars of convicted drink-drivers so they cannot start their engines when drunk.

At the strategy launch, Home Office Minister Caroline Flint repeated the Government's backing for

automatic number-plate recognition technology - spy cameras that can pick out stolen or wanted cars. But she added: "Technology is not the whole picture. The strategy will ensure there is an adequate police presence on the roads."

Richard Brunstrom of the Association of Chief Police Officers said: "This statement will set the tone for roads policing for years to come."