Call for a national highway patrol
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• The Government should investigate rumours of many truck drivers being put under severe strains to meet schedules, said an MP in the Commons last week.
While it was acknowledged that the truck drivers of Britain could be regarded as the knights of the road, they were tempted to race down motorways in a certain time so that they could earn more money, claimed Mr William Molloy (Labour, Ealing North). He asked for a national highway patrol to be set up, with sole responsibility for maintaining and promoting safety.
Mr Mark Carlisle, Minister of State at the Home Office, agreed that the mere presence of the police on a road had a salutary effect on the standard of driving, on conformity with the law and road safety generally. But in general chief constables did not favour any separation of control over their motorway patrols. They thought that it would have no advantage over the present system and might have the disadvantage of separating the traffic and crime aspects of police duties.