Road Policing for the future – Accepting the challenge.

The 21st century brings with it a more affluent and mobile society, more safety features on new vehicles and an array of new technology coupled with a safer road environment. For the safety and protection of the motoring public, we go to inordinate lengths to ensure that intelligent vehicle applications in the car, the design of roadway and the general environment is ‘forgiving’ of driving errors. In this context, there can be an expectation for technology to be the road safety saviour for careless and inconsiderate drivers. The reality check for road policing strategists is the element of human behaviour, generously termed ‘human error’. Community self-regulation is our unrealistic and unachievable expectation to date. We are thankful for a high level of road safety compliance which enables law enforcement efforts to be concentrated on idiots, hoons, opportunists and risk takers who are driven by a selfish compulsion to speed, to ignore laws regarding driver distractions or to drive following substance abuse.