Consultation on new powers to improve road safety

Objectives and site selection – consultation on new powers to improve road safety

Consultation closed: Thursday 4 August 2022
Consultation opened: Thursday 23 June 2022

There are a number of moving traffic offences which are enforceable as per the Department for Transport guidance.

We will initially focus on moving traffic offences which include:

  • driving through a "No Entry" sign
  • turning left or right when instructed not to do so i.e. banned turns
  • entering yellow box junctions when the exit is not clear
  • driving where and when motor vehicles are prohibited
  • driving on routes that are for buses and taxis only

The new law provides us with the opportunity to use these enforcement powers to improve safety and congestion on the highway network. Bedfordshire Police currently enforce moving traffic offences, and this will allow the force to focus on other policing priorities.

Objectives

The legislation states that each site we plan to use moving traffic offences powers must help achieve at least one of the following Department for Transport objectives:

  • improve road safety 
  • tackle congestion on our roads
  • increase public transport reliability 
  • improve air quality 
  • increase lifespan of highway assets (i.e reduce traffic jams and help the road surface last longer)

Site selection

We used the following criteria, as set out by the Department for Transport, to choose the sites we are consulting on for our pilot scheme:

  • the objectives set out in the section above
  • the types of moving traffic offences we can enforce
  • that the sites have traffic regulation orders in place and where applicable appropriate traffic signs and road markings 
  • officer intelligence regarding offences identified through customer engagement and feedback and prioritised taking into account safety concerns 
  • to have a range of different offences to pilot 
  • the sites are capable of being enforced by automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras (this is a legislative requirement)
  • all other methods of deterrent have been tried but further measures are still required

As part of our application to the Department for Transport, we've stated our intention to enforce the traffic signs at various locations.

Full list of offences

These are all the moving traffic offences set out by the Department for Transport.

Vehicular traffic must proceed in the direction indicated by the arrow

Proceed in the direction indicated by the arrow sign

Vehicular traffic must turn ahead in the direction indicated by the arrow

Traffic must turn in direction indicated by arrow sign

Vehicular traffic must keep to the left/right of the sign indicated by the arrow

Traffic must keep to the left right sign

No right turn for vehicular traffic

No right turn sign

No left turn for vehicular traffic

No left turn sign

No U-turns for vehicular traffic

No u-turn sign

Priority must be given to vehicles from the opposite direction

Priority to vehicles sign

No entry for vehicular traffic (when the restriction or prohibition is one that may be indicated by another traffic sign subject to civil enforcement)

No entry sign

All vehicles prohibited except non-mechanically propelled vehicles being pushed by pedestrians

All vehicles except non mechanically propelled vehicles being pushed by pedestrians sign

Motor vehicles prohibited

Motor vehicles prohibited sign

Motor vehicles except solo motorcycles prohibited

Motor vehicles except solo motorcycles prohibited sign

Solo motorcycles prohibited

Solo motorcycles prohibited sign

Goods vehicles exceeding the maximum gross weight indicated on the goods vehicle symbol prohibited

Heavy good vehicles restricted sign

One-way traffic

One way traffic sign

Buses prohibited

Buses prohibited sign

Route for use by buses, pedal cycles and taxis only

Buses pedal cycles taxis only sign

Route for use by tramcars only

Tramcars only sign

Route for use by pedal cycles only

Pedal cycles only sign