A Glimpse into the World of Roads Policing

Two members of the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership got a glimpse into the world of road policing last month. SSRPs Communication Officer and Programme Support Assistant visited officers from Sussex Police’s Roads Policing Unit (RPU) for a ride-along to understand the issues they are responding to on a daily basis. The partnership brings organisations together because there are sadly still too many preventable collisions on our roads in Sussex. Through a range of campaigns and initiatives, SSRP works towards raising awareness of; laws, key messages, preventative measures, information, and guidance to create safer roads for all.

As a Partnership, we are extremely proud to bring together numerous organisations who believe that together we can create a safer environment for all road users, significantly reduce life-changing injuries and eliminate fatalities. Using the wealth of knowledge and experience within the Partnership is vital in expanding both the public and colleagues’ knowledge.

Sussex Safer Roads Partnership’s Programme Assistance, Jess, was one of the colleagues that joined RPU for the day, she said:

I work as the Programme Support Assistant for Sussex Safer Roads Partnership and was offered an exciting opportunity of spending a working day with the Roads Policing Unit. Allowing me to gain further understanding of Road Safety from an operational perspective. We spent the day in central Sussex attending various jobs such as broken-down vehicles and vehicles with no MOT/insurance. I learnt about the processes of recording such crimes, lots of new terminology, and gained great insight into the day in the life of an RPU officer, which I now understand can be thrilling but also, extremely tough. Thank you to RPU for such an eye-opening opportunity!

SSRP’s Communications Officer, Ellen, also attended and said:

As Sussex Safer Roads Partnerships, Communications Officer, I am always searching for new and innovative ways to highlight the importance of partnership working with members of the public. As a Partnership, we are lucky to have an amazing collective of partners who all work incredibly hard to reduce KSIs (killed or seriously injured) in Sussex. Having the opportunity to spend the day with the Roads Policing Unit was fantastic. I experienced daily operational activities from breakdowns in live lanes, driving license discrepancies, insecure loads, and much more. It was eye-opening to see some individuals who are willing to risk both their lives and the lives of others, through their choices. The section we went out with were incredibly hardworking and their efforts are admirable, by working together, we can share best practices and experience.