Road incident data sharing
Lack of effective systems for sharing crucial road incident information, including accurate location data and 'damage only' collisions.
Source spread
Where this theme appears
This theme appears across 9 independent accountability sources, so the source mix matters as much as the headline total.
4 inquiry recs
13 PFD reports
8 committee recs
1 CQC action
1 NAO rec
1 Scottish FAI
1 PHSO decision
11 LGO/SPSO decisions
3 CJINI reports
Browse by source
Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Inquiry recommendations(4)
MAI-168 — Review Major Incident plans for joint working
Recommendation: Those organisations should consider what changes need to be made to Major Incident plans in order to achieve those aims.
Gov response: Accepted in full
Accepted
MAI-31 — Joint GMFRS/NWFC incident log review procedures
Recommendation: Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and North West Fire Control should conduct a joint review of the circumstances in which it is appropriate for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service personnel to check the North West Fire Control incident …
Gov response: Accepted in full
Accepted
MAI-4 — Appoint control room intelligence collators (Fire)
Recommendation: All fire and rescue services should consider appointing a person within their control rooms who, in the event of a Major Incident, has the sole role of gathering and collating all available information and intelligence, and sharing it internally and …
Gov response: Accepted in full
Accepted
MAI-2 — Appoint control room intelligence collators (Ambulance)
Recommendation: All ambulance service trusts should consider appointing a person within their control rooms who, in the event of a Major Incident, has the sole role of gathering and collating all available information and intelligence, and sharing it internally and externally …
Gov response: Accepted in full
Accepted
Prevention of Future Deaths reports(13)
Leanne Gower
Concerns: Police do not routinely check or provide damage-only road incident data to councils, which stopped being recorded in 2011 for unclear reasons. This data is not consistently considered when determining necessary highway maintenance works, despite its potential usefulness.
Response (Northamptonshire County Council): • The council stated its Skidding Resistance Strategy, last reviewed in 2013/14, will be reviewed again to identify potential changes or improvements. • The Red Route process, which includes monthly … (AI summary)
Response (Northamptonshire Police): • Northamptonshire Police stated it would not recommend formal steps to collate and analyse damage-only collision data. • The organisation proposed to brief a group of road safety problem solvers … (AI summary)
Responded
Nicholas Stocks
Concerns: Concerns included incomplete reporting by West Yorkshire Police of road traffic collision findings to Kirklees Council, a lack of clear responsibility for risk assessments at collision scenes, and inconsistencies in Kirklees Council's road inspection methods.
Response (West Yorkshire Police): • West Yorkshire Police confirmed that contact telephone numbers for Kirklees Council have been updated on their Force Communications system, enabling staff to speak directly to someone 24/7. • An … (AI summary)
Overdue
Sean Salvin
Concerns: The coroner noted insufficient information sharing between authorities about road incidents, particularly "damage only" events and precise location details. Concerns were also raised regarding the risk assessment of a specific location, including its funding prioritisation and recognition of hazards.
Response (Sean Salvin): • The Council collaborated with South Yorkshire Police, Yorkshire Water PLC, and Amey Hallam PLC to address the concerns. • New protocols and strategies were developed and shared, including a … (AI summary)
Overdue
Mark Harris
Concerns: Insufficient information sharing between ambulance and police services included a misspelled name that hindered police intelligence and unclear communication regarding the purpose of police attendance. There is no agreed protocol for such welfare checks.
Overdue
Lee Marsden
Concerns: The coroner identified a delay in activating motorway warning signals and noted communication issues between Highways England and the North West Motorway Police Group. No internal review of the accident circumstances was undertaken by Highways England.
Response (National Highways): • An internal review of the Regional Operations Centre's handling of the incident was carried out. • Highways England and the North West Motorway Police Group agreed to use clearer … (AI summary)
Response (North West Motorway Police Group): • A briefing note was circulated to North West Motorway Police Group staff on 25 May 2021, advising the use of plain language when identifying police or emergency services employees … (AI summary)
Responded
Harry Simmons
Concerns: The coroner raised concerns regarding the design of a road junction where drivers frequently cut the corner and sun glare reduces visibility, contributing to multiple collisions. It was suggested a pedestrian refuge and 'keep left' sign could prevent future accidents.
Response (Plymouth City Council): • The City Council undertook a study into the collision circumstances and commissioned a scheme design. • The scheme design includes a humped zebra crossing, junction narrowing, and parking restrictions. … (AI summary)
Responded
Stephen Cloudsdale
Concerns: The coroner raised concerns regarding the absence of adequate lighting and warning signage at a specific point on the A66 where vehicles cross from a café. Further issues included the speed of traffic and the insufficient width of the central reservation for large vehicles.
Response (National Highways Ltd): • National Highways is implementing an improvement scheme for signage, including upgraded traffic signs, road markings, and interactive electronic signs, with construction programmed for October 2022. • National Highways has … (AI summary)
Overdue
Andrew Kitson
Concerns: The coroner identified insufficient statistical data for evaluating police pursuit risks and effectiveness. The report notes the high burden on police drivers and managers, who operate with limited real-time information, indicating a need to refine pursuit parameters.
Response (Mayor of West Yorkshire): • The Mayor maintains governance structures, including regular executive accountability meetings with the Chief Constable. • A Joint Independent Ethics Committee scrutinises policing ethics and receives an annual report on … (AI summary)
Response (West Yorkshire Police): • West Yorkshire Police records pursuit data on a Force system, Chronicle, which is shared quarterly with the National Pursuits Group, and will undertake discussions to explore re-configuring it to … (AI summary)
Responded
Nicholas Dumphreys
Concerns: The informal structure of the National Association of Police Fleet Managers may not robustly disseminate safety-critical information to all forces. Furthermore, there is no formal policy to prevent faulty police vehicles from being auctioned to the public, and no national standards for police garages.
Response (National Police Chiefs Council): • A reorganisation of the NPCC Fleet structure has taken place, and a new NPCC-led governance and delivery structure is being established to ensure NPCC ownership and direction of all … (AI summary)
Responded
Lachlan Campbell
Concerns: The coroner identified gaps in information sharing between the ambulance service and police, leading to ambulance delays, incomplete patient information, and police not being informed of likely response times. This prevented officers from considering alternative transport options for the individual.
Response (South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust): • South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWAST) has implemented training for police officers to dial 999 from the scene for medical support and for control room staff to … (AI summary)
Response (Devon and Cornwall Police): • A triage process has been implemented in the Devon & Cornwall Police control room to assess the most appropriate agency for incidents, including those involving potentially drunk and incapable … (AI summary)
Responded
Nargis Begum
Concerns: The coroner noted a lack of public understanding regarding the need to report motorway problems like stationary vehicles to National Highways, observing that public information campaigns had not effectively conveyed this message.
Response (National Highways): • National Highways launched campaigns in 2021 and 2022 to raise awareness of the eCall function for reporting incidents. • The Highway Code was updated in September 2021 to include … (AI summary)
Responded
David Walsh
Concerns: The coroner noted that road traffic collision data, reviewed annually, is not immediately reported to the Highways Department, potentially delaying timely safety improvements to highway conditions.
Response (Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire Police): • A new fatal notification process ensures that Police Fatal Reports are distributed to Highways Managers as soon as they are received by Lincolnshire County Council. • The Lincolnshire Road … (AI summary)
Responded
Martin Evans, Patricia Evans and Neil Errington
Concerns: The coroner raised concerns regarding the DVLA's reliance on drivers to self-report medical conditions affecting their fitness to drive. This approach allows some impaired drivers to continue driving due to dishonesty or lack of insight, risking future deaths among lawful road users.
Response (DVLA): • The DVLA stated it would review the content of medical questionnaires sent to clinicians to consider including additional prompts or questions. • The DVLA indicated it would review its … (AI summary)
Response (Department of Transport): • Officials will carry out a comprehensive review of self-declaration forms and consider ways to further raise awareness of the importance of notifying medical conditions to the DVLA. • Officials … (AI summary)
Responded
Select committee recommendations(8)
#14 — Provide update on connecting homelessness data with public services and improve related data collection.
Recommendation: The Government should provide an update on its efforts to connect homelessness data with data from other public services, including health data, to take a more holistic approach to understanding the drivers of homelessness in England. It should also consider …
Response attribution not verified
#7 —
Recommendation: As with other age groups, rural roads pose a particular risk for young drivers, with three quarters of young driver fatalities taking place on those roads. We welcome the Department’s 2019 commitment to establish a Rural Roads Working Group although …
Response attribution not verified
#2 —
Recommendation: The Department should commission a study of crash rates for older novice drivers and how the driver’s experience level contributes to these crashes. This would allow the Department to understand better the risks around older novice drivers and whether to …
Response attribution not verified
#1 —
Recommendation: Research conducted by the insurance industry shows that a significant proportion of older novice drivers—that is, drivers aged above 25 who are relatively new to driving—are involved in crashes. However, this is difficult to verify because official statistics are not …
Response attribution not verified
#4 —
Recommendation: The available data on the safety of all-lane running motorways are limited and volatile. There are only five-years of safety data available for 29 miles of all-lane running motorways. The Department and National Highways should pause the rollout of all-lane …
Response attribution not verified
#5 —
Recommendation: There are a number of factors that contribute to the higher proportional rates of young drivers in the casualty statistics. We welcome the Department for Transport’s Driver 2020 research project which is exploring several technological and educational based measures targeted …
Response attribution not verified
#4 —
Recommendation: There have been welcome reductions in the overall numbers of young and novice drivers killed and seriously injured in road traffic crashes over the past 15 years. However, this progress has now stalled. We believe that improvements to the safety …
Response attribution not verified
#11 —
Recommendation: Arrangements should be established and tested to allow immediate flows of data between bodies relevant to an emergency response with a mechanism to resolve immediately and decisively any disputes.
Response attribution not verified
CQC inspection actions(1)
NAO audit recommendations(1)
Scottish Fatal Accident Inquiries(1)
LGO / SPSO decisions(11)
21-016-501 — Leeds City Council
Summary: Miss X complains the Council failed to keep CCTV images that could have helped identify a driver that she says caused an accident, in which her car was written off. As a result she has lost out on her no claims bonus and insurance is much more expensive. We …
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Upheld
Aug 2022
PSOW-202503972 — Welsh Government
Ms C complained that a Welsh Government body had not provided an adequate response to her complaint about the conduct of a member of staff. The Ombudsman decided that the body did not have a complaints procedure in place. Whilst it had responded promptly when the complaint was first raised, …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Nov 2025
22-007-895 — Cumbria County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the failure of a traffic enforcement officer to issue a penalty for a car which Mr X says was causing an obstruction. There is insufficient evidence of fault which caused any significant injustice to Mr X.
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Oct 2022
23-018-205 — Liverpool City Council
Summary: Mr X complains the Council failed to properly respond to his concerns about pavement parking which caused a road safety issue. When it did respond, the works it carried out were incorrect and not as agreed. We found there was fault with the Council’s response to the complaint and …
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Upheld
Jun 2024
24-020-357 — Durham County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint the Council are liable for the costs of damage caused to an unattended motor vehicle. This is because the courts are better suited to decide liability for damaged property and it would be reasonable for Miss X to pursue any claim through the …
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Apr 2025
24-011-449 — Lancashire County Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to carry out changes to the bus and parking arrangements where she lives. There is insufficient evidence of fault causing injustice which would warrant an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Dec 2024
25-010-561 — North Lincolnshire Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council not taking responsibility for the timing of temporary traffic lights at highway works by a water company which it permitted, and officers not contacting the company after he reported the matter. There is insufficient significant personal injustice to Mr …
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Dec 2025
25-010-369 — Essex County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to notify Mr X about the closure of a highway in his area. There is no evidence of fault on the part of the Council. The Council is not the highway authority for the roadworks in question.
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Jan 2026
21-012-697 — South Gloucestershire Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision on a temporary Traffic Regulation Order. There is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council which has caused any significant injustice to Mr X.
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Jan 2022
21-011-604 — Cumbria County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the introduction of parking restrictions near Ms X’s home. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Jan 2022
25-009-340 — Suffolk County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council decided not to make an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order permanent. We have not seen enough evidence of fault in the Council’s actions to justify an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Dec 2025
CJINI inspection reports(3)
Roads Policing: A Follow-Up Review of inspection recommendations
Policing, Policing and the Community
Nov 2010
Driving Change: A Follow-up review of the 2016 enforcement of road traffic legislation in N.I.
Policing, Policing and the Community
Mar 2020
Driving Change: Enforcement of road traffic legislation in Northern Ireland
Policing, Policing and the Community
Sep 2016