Police quit 'stale' Safer Roads Partnership

Sussex Police said more effective ways of improving road safety were available

Sussex Police has announced it will leave the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP), with the county's Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne calling it "stale".

The SSRP, involving some local councils, emergency services and National Highways, works to reduce road deaths and injuries through education, engagement, enforcement and engineering.

East Sussex County Councillor Ian Hollidge encouraged the force to stay in the partnership, saying too many people were scared by "erratic and irresponsible" drivers.

There were 320 road crashes in which people were killed or seriously injured in 2023, according to Sussex Police.

'Every death is one too many'

Ms Bourne told the BBC a "major" reason behind the SSRP exit was that police believed there were "better" ways of working with local partners.

"It's been around for a long time," she said. "As with any partnership, things can get stale and ways of thinking can get stuck in ruts."

Speaking separately during a Sussex Police & Crime Panel meeting, the commissioner said road death and injury numbers had flatlined over the last decade.

“We keep doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different outcome," she said, vowing that Sussex Police remained dedicated to improving safety.

Mrs Bourne said conversations were ongoing to decide what future partnerships would look like.

She told the BBC she would be setting up a Fatal Five Roads Unit dedicated to dealing with the issues that "matter most to Sussex residents", like speeding.

"Hundreds of families every year live with the sudden and life-changing impact of losing someone they love in a road collision," said a Sussex Police spokesperson.

"Every death is one too many and we are committed to working even more effectively and innovatively to improve road safety across the county."