According to new figures, nearly £750,000 in car accident compensation has been paid out to more than 200 people by the South Yorkshire Police force in the last three years.
Local newspaper The Sheffield Star, which unearthed the shocking figures as part of a recent campaign, also found that the total number of crashes and collisions involving police vehicles since April 2008 was 1,152.
A total of 214 people were injured or had their property or possessions damaged in these accidents, and most have received injury compensation from South Yorkshire Police. To date, police chiefs have paid out £731,510 in car accident compensation. Over the three year period, four police officers were disciplined for motoring offences, and a couple of further investigations are also ongoing.
Despite these worrying figures, the chairman of the South Yorkshire Police Authority Neil Bowles has reassured the public that:
“All police road traffic collisions are treated very seriously, let alone if some cause casualties and all are investigated by a supervisory officer.
“All police drivers are highly trained, both initially and throughout their careers. I believe all police drivers take their duties and responsibilities extremely professionally.”
