A new Roads Policing Team has been announced for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, alongside a new approach to tackle careless driving and £340,000 worth of investment for road safety projects.
There were 1,286 people killed or seriously injured on the roads of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight between October 2024 and September 2025.
Road safety is a top priority for Donna Jones, Police & Crime Commissioner, with around 30,000 people killed or seriously injured on the roads nationally every year.
The most common causes of collisions are speeding, distracted driving, drink and drug driving, and not wearing a seatbelt.
A Road Safety Summit hosted by the Commissioner focused on how careless and inconsiderate driving will be added to the list of leading causes of collisions that devastate lives.
PCC Donna Jones has said:
“One person’s actions behind the wheel can have a devastating impact in a split second, which is why I am focused on making the roads across our two counties safer with more investment to support proactive roads policing.
Article continues below this advertisement “The Roads Policing Unit work hard to tackle the constant challenges posed by dangerous drivers who are speeding, being anti-social and posing a danger on our roads.
“Their new focus on combatting careless driving and the funding for road safety projects will together play a part in making our roads safer.
“One death on our roads is one too many. Younger and older drivers are particularly at risk, and careless driving is a common cause of incidents casing death or serious injury.
“Speeding remains a huge concern for communities which is why I have made funding available for councils to apply for yellow fixed cameras on the roads that worry them the most.
“To further support communities, I’ve awarded over £300k for speed indicator signs, digital road signs, Community Speedwatch schemes, and projects to educate groups on road safety.”
The PCC made the announcement at her Road Safety Summit she was hosting, joined by Chief Constable Alexis Boon.
The Chief said adding careless driving to the list of the most common causes of collisions means the force’s new Tasking Team will now focus on the ‘Fatal Five’.
Chief Constable Alexis Boon has said:
“Our new Tasking Team will be a dedicated group of officers, focused on tackling criminality and dangerous driving across our roads. This team will prioritise motorists committing the Fatal Five offences, which are among the leading causes of collisions that devastate lives.
“Our roads policing officers see first-hand the trauma these incidents cause, and we are determined to reduce the number of families whose lives are torn apart by crashes that are entirely preventable. The Tasking Team will also act as a specialist resource, supporting colleagues across the force to disrupt offenders who use vehicles and our road network to facilitate criminal activity.
“Alongside enforcement, the team will work closely with our partners to continue educating motorists across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, an essential part of making our roads safer for everyone. It is vital to recognise that road safety is a shared responsibility. Whether we are commuting, heading to the shops, or doing the school run, everyone has the right to use the roads without fear of injury.”
I see a lot of civilian pen pushers in that picture but few police officers.
Try giving some meaningful punishments, especially for those who persist in driving under the influence or when disqualified instead of waffling on and on
Please start with action against over wide vehicles using country lanes.
The 6’6″ accept for access rule only applies to blue lights and council vehicles not farm tractors or delivery vans so kindly educate people
you need educating on the highway code look up the 6’6 rule anyone that needs access can drive down them including tractors and delivery lorry’s
Time for the rule to be changed.
Why not farm tractors? These roads were mostly used for farms. I’m nothing to do with farming but understand that most narrow roads were once used by farmers
Such vehicles should be banned from using CERTAIN
island roads or be FORCED to use alternative routes.
They also need to be taxed heavily.
Wait for it,the “numpty” will wet his pants with excitement after reading this
Where’s he gone?
I haven’t stopped laughing I did not get around
to commenting.
That made my day that has!
Let’s get all numpties off our roads and make them safe
for non-numpties.
Great to see, well overdue and exactly what the Island
needs.
Makes paying ones council tax worthwhile.
Good luck making our roads a safer place, speeding
on the island is rife. I am pleased to see it is being
tackled.
“Speeding, distracted driving, drink and drug driving, and not wearing a seatbelt” are the standard reasons cited for death and injury on UK roads and there is nothing new about the “fatal five”. On the Island, tackling “careless and inconsiderate driving” is likely to be the game changer as so many drivers are unaware and inconsiderate leading to carelessness and accidents. This requires widespread, effective education. The Force already has traffic officers so unless these new plans will significantly increase the number of people they educate it is difficult to see how there will be a great impact. Simply putting in cameras does not work as people soon get to know where they are. Community Speedwatch schemes always seems to be manned by pensioners who revel in secreting themselves then jump out to “catch people out” rather than deter would be speeders by being a visible presence. They are not supposed to be vigilantes and have no powers. Safety on our roads is important but so is the wider concept that in the UK we police by consent – Forces need the public eyes and ears and the trust between police and public is vital. For most law abiding people, the only contact they will ever have with a police officer is in the motoring context – it must not be a contact which alienates people.
Everyone should take a new driving test and if they
fail, then they are off our roads.
I see some shockers on a daily basis.
I DON’T KNOW HOW THEY PASSED THEIR TEST, MAYBE THEY
ARE RELATED TO THE EXAMINER OR GAVE THEM A BROWN
ENVELOPE
Lol
Thank goodness.
I’m so fed up of being tail gated by van drivers in particular.
Speeding youngsters and dangerous driving is so bad on this Island.
Lawless numpties drive vans, tailgating should = an
IMMEDIATE driving ban.