Force Orders 1938

X No. 25 8th Ju1y, 1938. TO BE CIRCULATEDTO ALL DR2VERS OF COUNTYOWNEDYEHICLES(MOTOR PATROLS,WIREIBSSYAN DRIVERS, C.I.D.AN) OTHERS) ACCID ?:TS TO COUNTY04' ED MOTOA VEHICLES The InsuranceCompanybas informedtha C1erkof the Peace that in the lastthreeyears,110 actionclaimshave been settledby them for �3000. 0 3n otherwords,50 per centof the Countyowaedvehicles have had insuranceclaimspaid on them. It was only afterpersuasionand a cartaininducementhat the InsuranceCompanywaa preparedto continue insuringCountyownedvehiclesand they wi11 on1yundertaketo do so for one yearmore. This is an appallingrecord. No businessfirm would standi19 for a momentand it is imperativethat insuranceclaimsoa countyowaed vehiclesbe considerablyreducedin the neatyear. Any drivero� a countyownedvehicle,wi11, if involvedin an accident,imoediatolyreturnhis drivingauthorityto InspectorPapworthif a memberof the MotorPatrol,if a memberof the C.I.D.,he w311 send it to his Superintendent,and the Superi tendantand InspeotorPapworthw111 submitit with the accidentreportto Headquarters.If a memberof the Motor Patrol, then the Inspectorwi11 detailhim for foot patrolwork untilthe Chief Constablehas decidedwhetherhe wi11 retainhim in the motor patrolor not. 2� a memberof the C.I.D.,or a driverof any othercountyownedvehicle,he wi11 not driveanothercountyownedvehicleuntilauthorisedto do so by the ChiefConstable. Speed is aa ingredientin the majorityof accidents,and no countyownedvehicleshouldbe drivenat over 35 miles an hour unlessthere are circumstanceswhichmake a higherspeednecessary. Motor Patrol Inspectorsand Bergeantsare inatructedto see that this rule is compliodwith. It is quiteclearthat motor patrolstravellingat a higherspeedcannot performtheirdutiesin the mannerthey should. The ChiefConstableis disappointedthat the advancedcourse of drivi.ngbaa not tended to a considerablereductionin Insuranceclaims. The advanced course o� training, if it is of any va1ue should not on1y have improved the powersof observation,but should have taught the driver what to expecta � foclishdriverto do and should have so i.mprovedthe standard of drlving that an accidentto anyone who has been through the advanced course should be a matter o� a p i and condemnation. The Chief Conetableknows that evorymember o� the motor patrol, in fact a11 membars of the Force, have very much at heart the traffic problem, and it is a matterof congratulationto the Cheshire Constabularythe improvement that has bean made 3n the reduction of accidents and in tha behaviour of cyclists and pedestrians,but if the figuresof accidentsto Police cars were public property,then not on1y would our reputatlonbe smirched,but our task vrouldba made impossible,and the puWlicwould lose their confidencein ue as advisers on theee matters. . . 2t should be a matter of honour aad pride to every d 'e of a county�ownedvehi.clethat he sets an example in drivingand can say at the end of the year that he has met with no accident. . The Chief Constableis certain that now the position is know to a11 drivers of county owned eh oles, they wi11 ensure not onlythat we aye not blacklistedby an InsuranceCompany but that we earn for ourselveswith that Insura ceCompany a raputationwhich makes insuranceof county ownad vehiclesa business to be eought after. g ONS w \ � fd .. ............ * 9� 7�3d> \\ s 1� U ,