Traffic Collisions &
Offences
Hertfordshire Constabulary Criminal
Justice Department administers the investigation of recordable road
traffic accidents and traffic offences.
The department works in partnership with other constabulary staff,
especially the Roads Policing Unit; with partner (collaboration)
forces; the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS); the Courts Service
(HMCTS); the Highways Agency; and Hertfordshire County Council.
In most respects Hertfordshire
County Council carry the majority of statutory responsibility for
provision of Roads Safety within Hertfordshire.
Traffic Accidents need to be
recorded if they meet certain criteria. Once recorded they are then
further investigated by the Process and Collisions Unit, unless
they are very serious, in which case dedicated Traffic Officers
will manage the whole investigation.
Traffic Offences are detected in a
number of ways.
Safety Cameras, commonly known as
Speed Cameras, detect speed and traffic light offences at a variety
of locations around the county.
Uniformed officers can issue fixed
penalty tickets or report drivers directly for prosecution at
court. In some cases, the police may investigate allegations passed
to us by partner agencies or allegations made by the public. These
case are managed by the Process and Collisions Unit.
The Constabulary Roads Policing
strategy is closely linked to County Council and national Roads
Safety strategies.
Similarly prosecution guidance
closely mirrors national guidance from the Association of Chief
Police Officers (ACPO) and the CPS.
Consequently, there is a move to
offer driver education for certain, lower level, offences, rather
than simply issue fines or summons for prosecution.