Police rack up £1 million in repairs for collisions with stationary objects

Published on Sunday 7 March 2010 21:58

POLICE forces have paid out nearly a million pounds in repairs to hundreds of vehicles following crashes with parked cars, walls and tree branches.

Of the hundreds of collisions since 2008, only a minority were during a response to a 999 call and few officers have been reprimanded, fined or suspended, forces across Scotland said.

Forces were asked how many vehicles had been damaged in collisions that have not involved other moving vehicles or other persons since January 2008 and how much the repairs cost.

Strathclyde Police – Scotland's biggest force – said 1,216 police vehicles were damaged by officers in collisions that did not involve other vehicles or other people between 1 January, 2008, and 25 January this year. The repairs cost 721,715.48.

The main cause for damage to the police vehicles was noted as "collision with an object" and 44 had their blue lights on at the time. Nine police vehicles had also been damaged in collisions involving pedestrians.

Tayside Police said "reversing incidents" was the most common reason given for 133 collisions which did not involve another vehicle or person.

The collisions cost 35,946.71, which included repairs to vehicles and property damaged. The force also spent 4,663.42 on repairs to police vehicles after 23 collisions with parked cars.

Northern Constabulary said one officer caused 229 of damage by hitting an overhanging branch while reversing in Inverness in July 2008. In August 2008 another officer hit a barrier in Inverness at a cost of 404, and in March this year a car was a "write-off" after leaving the A9 on a bend.

Lothian and Borders Police damaged 167 vehicles, including 65 vans and four motorbikes, between January 2008 and 27 January this year, with the main cause for damage recorded as hitting "still objects".

In its response, the force said 16 of the collisions were during a response to a 999 call and there were also four police vehicles damaged in collisions with pedestrians.

The incidents cost 86,168.86 for repairs, third-party vehicle and third-party injury costs.

Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary said 27 vehicles were damaged during the period at a cost of 18,581.

The force said: "The vehicles involved were 15 marked vans, seven marked cars and five unmarked cars.

"None of the collisions occurred while responding to a 999 call or during a pursuit. The majority occurred during manoeuvring in police yards."

Out of the damages, two collisions involved a marked vehicle colliding with parked vehicles. None of the collisions involved pedestrians.

Fife Police said it paid 86,128.98 for 112 damaged vehicles. The most frequent reason for the damage was given as collisions with parked vehicles – in 39 of the cases.

The information was revealed following Freedom of Information requests.