Source · Prevention of Future Deaths

Joshua Brown

Ref: 2015-0162 Date: 27 Apr 2015 Coroner: Richard Travers Area: Surrey Responses identified: 1 / 2 View PDF

National police driver training for night-time operations lacks a compulsory practical in-car element, potentially compromising officer safety and response effectiveness.

Date 27 Apr 2015

56-day deadline 22 Jun 2015 est.

Responses identified 1 of 2

Road (Highways Safety) related deaths

Coroner's concerns

AI summary

National police driver training for night-time operations lacks a compulsory practical in-car element, potentially compromising officer safety and response effectiveness.

View full coroner's concerns

During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed that some police forces in England and Wales include as part of their night‐time driver training for police officers, practical training in a motor car at night. However, that is not a national requirement and other police forces, in line with the national requirement, provide night‐time driver training as a discussion based classroom training with no practical element to it

The MATTER OF CONCERN is:

Night‐time driver training Consideration should be given to amending the national requirement for police driver training so as to include a compulsory element of practical in‐car training for driving at night‐ time.

Responses

1 respondent

College of Policing Police / Law Enforcement

5 Jun 2015 PDF

Action Planned

The College of Policing is reviewing police driver training, including the risks associated with driving in reduced visibility and night-time driving, and will develop guidance and training as appropriate. (AI summary)

View full response

Dear Mr Travers, am writing in response to the letter from your office dated 27 April 2015 and the Regulation 28 Report in respect of the death of Joshua Steve Brown on the December 2012. I am responding to the report on behalf of Dame Shirley Pearce, the College's Chair, in my capacity as Chief Executive Officer with responsibility for the operations and management of the College. The Regulation 28 Report contains the following recommendation that "Consideration should be given to amending the national requirement for police driver training so as to include a compulsory element of practical in-car training for diving at night-time" _ The College of Policing is currently working with the National Police Chiefs Council lead for roads policing, Chief Constable lon the roads policing learning project. Within this project there is a specific piece of work on police driving standards which will involve a review of police driver training: Part of this work will examine the particular risks associated with driving in reduced visibility, including night-time driving: The joint approach will involve an examination of the evidence base around driving hazards, the development of guidance and, if it is determined to be the most effective way of addressing the risks identified, training: The exact timescales for completing the work are not known at this time but the results will be made available as appropriate. trust that this letter fulfils the College's responsibility under the Regulation 28 report and has proved helpful:

Report sections

Investigation and inquest

The inquest into the death of Mr Joshua Brown was opened on the 6th December 2012 and was resumed on the 19th January 2015 with a jury. It was concluded on 17th April 2015. The jury found that the cause of death was: 1a – Head and neck injury. The jury concluded with a narrative and a short form conclusion of ‘Road Traffic Collision’. Within their narrative conclusion the jury determined that the driving of the police officer was appropriate prior to joining the A31 and on the A31, in accordance with his driver training, he took the outside lane. However, in the brief time between his initial contact with the patchy fog and the collision, his dynamic risk assessment and hence his speed was inappropriate. They also found that, at the point of collision, Mr Brown was walking in lane 2 with his back to any potential traffic. The jury concluded that both these elements had contributed to the road traffic collision. Rt/doc/03946-2012/Reg28/17.06.15

Circumstances of the death

At shortly after 03.30 hours on the 1st December 2012, a police vehicle driven by a Surrey police officer, left Guildford town centre in order to respond to a grade 1 call in Farnham. The route taken by the vehicle left Guildford on the A3 and went onto the A31 Hog’s Back, West bound. The Hog’s Back is situated on top of the downs and is an isolated road. At the point where the collision occurred it is an unlit dual carriageway where the two sets of lanes are divided by an area of mature trees and bushes. The weather in Guildford was reasonably clear, but as the vehicle climbed the hill onto the downs it became increasingly foggy. On the Hog’s Back itself there was patchy dense fog. At the time of his death Joshua Brown was serving in the REME and was based at an army camp in the Farnham area. He had been in Guildford the previous evening and had become separated from his friends. At the point of the collision he was about one metre into the outside lane of the dual carriageway from its offside edge. His arm was outstretched with his thumb uppermost, as if he was ‘thumbing a lift’. At the point of impact the speed of the vehicle was 81 mph and visibility was reduced, by reason of the fog, to 30 metres. In the circumstances it would not have been possible to have avoided a collision.

Copies sent to

I have sent a copy of this report to the following1. Professor Dame Shirley PearceIndependent Chair of the College of Policing2. Chief Constable Suzette DavenportACPO National Road Policing Leadc. The Chief Constable of Surrey Police4. The Chief CoronerSignedRichard TraversDATED this 27th April 2015

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Report details

Reference: 2015-0162
Date of report: 27 April 2015
Coroner: Richard Travers
Coroner area: Surrey

Responses identified

Responses identified 1 of 2

1 response not yet linked

Organisations named in PFD reports are normally expected to respond within 56 days. Deadline: 22 Jun 2015 (estimated).

Sent to

Association of Chief Police Officers

College of Policing

Part of a series

2 reports

2014-0289 1/3

Source links

Judiciary.uk page → Report PDF →

Data: judiciary.uk under OGL.