Roadcraft Police
Mariam Obregon
Roadcraft refers to the system of car or motorcycle control outlined in two books Roadcraft: The Police Driver's Handbook[1] and Motorcycle Roadcraft: The Police Rider's Handbook.[2] The books are produced by the Police Foundation and published by His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO).[3]
The System is used whenever a hazard requires a manoeuvre. A hazard is something which requires a change in speed, direction or both. The benefit of applying a systematic approach to driving is to reduce the simultaneous demands on the vehicle, the driver mentally and the driver physically. That is, the System seeks to separate out the phases of a manoeuvre into a logical sequence so that the vehicle and the driver avoid being overwhelmed by having to do too much at the same time. For example, braking and steering at the same time place greater demands on the vehicle's available grip and in the worst case can lead to a skid.
Whilst the books were originally put together at the Metropolitan Police Driving School at Hendon, and intended for police drivers and riders, they have been available for sale to the general public since the mid-1950s. Civilian advanced driving organisations such as RoSPA and the Institute of Advanced Motorists base their teaching and advanced motoring tests on Roadcraft.
The Roadcraft publications have been prepared through close consultation with the police, other emergency services and driving instructors, and are considered to essential for anyone who wants to become a better, safer driver or rider.
Driving a police vehicle (especially a marked/liveried one) will inherently result in exposure to areas of high-risk activity, nearly always conducted in view of the general public. As such, all driving activity must be carefully considered and managed by the force. Police drivers should take responsibility for conducting themselves professionally and setting an example in the way they drive or ride.
Qualified and authorised members of statutory services and/or other organisations prescribed by the Department of Transport (DfT) have specific exemptions to lawfully undertake their duties. These exemptions are set out in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 and the Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982. These exempt emergency vehicles driven by qualified and authorised personnel from:
Police drivers may find themselves considering contravening road signs and regulations where no statutory exemption exists. Drivers should make decisions on such matters in accordance with the specific circumstances and using professional judgement. Due consideration should be given to the NDM, which should ensure all decisions are appropriate and used only in circumstances that can be justified.
Driver training units (DTU) must have a minimum of two police driving instructors and a supervisor or manager. They are responsible for delivering courses in accordance with the Police Driving Programme Specification and Assessment Strategy. Each DTU must secure the support of a qualified internal quality assurance of assessment (IQA) officer who should check the compliance of each course with the curricula. Where smaller forces or agencies have a DTU attached under licence to a Home Office police service, both organisations must ensure that a service level agreement is in place to provide compliance and IQA procedures. The supervisor/manager must ensure:
Police drivers must receive comprehensive training at various levels throughout their career relevant to their role within the organisation. Police drivers have a duty to ensure that their standard of driving is consistent with their training and that they set an example to other road users.
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 amended the Road Traffic Act (RTA) 1988, effective from 30 November 2022. This amend introduced a new test to assess the standard of a police officer's driving, including when deciding if a constable or other designated person has been driving carelessly or dangerously.
This new test can only be used if they are driving for police purposes and have undertaken prescribed initial and refresher training in accordance with the Road Traffic Act 1988 (Police Driving: Prescribed Training) Regulations 2022.
All police drivers must hold a full Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) licence for the category of vehicle being driven. Individual forces have discretion to determine whether a practical assessment is also required.
Officers who are on call sometimes use emergency equipped vehicles (marked or unmarked) to respond using exemptions to return to duty. These on-call officers can make use of standard or advanced vehicles, providing all the following criteria are satisfied.
The force driver training lead, must jointly with the head of fleet, must provide clarification where any uncertainty exists or clarification required. Decisions should prioritise safety and compliance with legislation and the police driving curricula.
It is recommended that forces should also expect standard response and advanced drivers to meet the DVLA group 2 medical standards, irrespective of any disability. Any questions over the ability of an individual to meet these, or any other standards of medical fitness for emergency response driving, must be referred to the relevant force department for a professional medical opinion.
To protect the individual, organisation, and members of the public, drivers of police vehicles must declare any medical situation or condition that may affect or prevent them from undertaking any police-related driving duties safely or legally. This includes any medical condition, fatigue, fitness, prescribed medication or any other condition that may affect their ability to drive. Drivers must notify a supervisor or suitable person in their force. On receipt of such a report the person receiving the report should consult with the occupational health department in order to determine jointly the right course of action.
Police drivers must always drive in a manner which promotes public confidence. Where driving falls below the expected standards, resulting in an incident, forces should investigate, review, act proportionately and make any necessary interventions.
The iconic publication is prepared in close consultation with the police, other emergency services and motorcycle trainers. It has been fully revised and updated to give the most authoritative, evidence-based guidance on advanced riding skills.
Roadcraft is the definitive guide to better, safer driving. Incorporating current evidence-based best practice, it is recognised as the gold standard in police driver training. Endorsed by the emergency services and civilian driving organisations, Roadcraft is suitable for all emergency service drivers and members of the public wishing to take their driving skills to a higher level.
This new edition of Roadcraft has been fully revised and updated. Prepared through close consultation with the police, other emergency services and driving instructors, it includes substantial new content:
Motorcycle Roadcraft is the definitive guide to better, safer riding incorporating current evidence-based practice, it is recognised as the leading manual in police rider training. Endorsed by the emergency services and civilian driving organisations, Motorcycle Roadcraft is suitable for all members of the public wishing to take their riding skills to a higher level.
The Riding Standard is supplementary to Roadcraft, written specifically for New Zealand roads. It is designed to concentrate on the particular characteristics of Advanced Riding in New Zealand but is not an alternative to Roadcraft. Associates will need to be aware of the New Zealand Road Code, Roadcraft and the Riding Standard to demonstrate their required Advanced Motorcycle knowledge and skills.
This chapter is about how you can become a better driver. Driving should be a safe, satisfying and rewarding task. This chapter focuses on the personal qualities that are essential for safe and competent driving. Understanding your personal risks and knowing how to increase your safety will lay the foundations for a long, enjoyable and rewarding driving career.
This is because your personal characteristics affect how you approach technical skills, use your vehicle, respond to traffic conditions and to other road users, and deal with the demands of a particular journey and the job of driving. This chapter introduces the main European Goals for Driver Education and explains how these can support your awareness of personal risks and your self-assessment abilities.
As self-assessment is so important, each chapter in Roadcraft includes questions to help you check your understanding of police driving competences and assess your own driving behaviour. Questions are highlighted like this in a coloured panel with a self-assessment symbol.
Developing these multiple and complex abilities begins with training but is a process of continuous improvement. It needs constant practice and accurate self-assessment throughout your professional driving career.
To become a better driver, the first step is to recognise the resistance in ourselves to accepting responsibility. The second step is to accept every near miss and collision as a learning opportunity to assess how you can avoid the same mistake in future.
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