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Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has addressed the nation’s road safety experts and decision makers once again as part of her relentless mission to increase road safety standards and save lives.
Eighty percent of respondents in the PCC’s consultation on policing priorities for her Police, Crime and Justice Plan said that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol was their biggest concern on the roads.
The County Durham and Darlington PCC, who is also Joint National Lead for Roads Policing on behalf of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), has spoken at nearly every major road safety conference in the UK so far in 2025, sharing details of her uncompromising commitment to preventing more unnecessary deaths and injuries on the roads.
She has also secured the attention of broadcasters across the country in spotlighting new and radical solutions to protect young and inexperienced drivers such as Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) and is making waves across the haulage and fleet industry to make drug and alcohol testing common practice.
As a keynote speaker at the recent UKROEd/NPCC Roads Policing Conference 2025, the PCC told delegates of the six key national changes she is pushing for to overhaul the UK’s road safety record.
These are:
She explained that motoring fines boost the Central Government Fund, not local forces. In the last full year, Durham Constabulary’s vigilance saw £79,000 raised from mobile phone offences and a further £20,500 raised due to seat belt offences, money that the PCC feels could by used effectively in the force area.
The PCC insisted the changes were practical, proportionate and evidence-based, and would save lives and strengthen public confidence on the roads.
And she told delegates she was seizing every opportunity to develop a cross-sector approach drawing on her other national responsibilities to bring urgent reform.
As the APCC’s Joint National Lead for Addictions and Substance Misuse, the PCC said she is already linking addiction policy in a way that protects lives on the roads, supports recovery and denies criminals use of the roads, which is reshaping the national conversation.
Alongside her APCC portfolio colleague, Dorset PCC David Sidwick, she has successfully pushed for the reclassification of nitrous oxide, which had been directly linked to drivers losing consciousness at the wheel and killing themselves, their passengers, and other innocent road users.
“Tackling drug driving doesn’t just make roads safer — it helps deny hardened dangerous criminals the use of the roads, disrupt drug supply chains, and reduce demand,” she said.
“It’s a public health intervention and a law enforcement priority rolled into one.”
The PCC, who recently hosted a National Drug Driving Summit in Durham, said the focus on drink driving had over shadowed a silent and growing epidemic – drug driving – and highlighted shocking data from recent policing operations across England and Wales which revealed six in ten drivers (60%) tested positive for drugs, with cannabis, cocaine and a range of prescription and over-the-counter substance increasingly part of the picture.
“Many of these drivers are not hardened criminals — but their choices are criminally reckless,” she added.
The Commissioner told delegates that employers were playing a pivotal role in promoting safer driving practices, especially those operating large fleets and logistics networks, highlighting the outstanding leadership of Durham companies such as Katem and Stiller Logistics, who have introduced workplace drug testing and fitted in-cab cameras to deter mobile phone use and distraction.
She also highlighted her innovative work pitching safety messages on the backs of HGVs, effectively turning lorries into moving billboards for change, and her investment in a dedicated Roads Victims Worker to ensure families affected by road death or serious injury can get the support they deserve.
While admitting the fatal four driving behaviours (speeding, distraction, drink/drug driving, seat belts) will remain a challenge, she insisted that new tools such as Acusensus camera technology, better education and smarter local reinvestment could change behaviour before tragedy strikes.
In outlining her steadfast commitment to Vision Zero: every day without a road death, the Commissioner said Helsinki –the capital of Finland – is proof that this vision is not an impossible dream.
The city has seen zero road deaths in the past 12 months thanks to a host of measures and infrastructure changes including half of city streets limited to 30km/h, intersections redesigned with raised crossings and safer lighting, investment in walking, cycling and public transport and consistent enforcement of rules.
“Every statistic represents a story — a life lost, a family grieving, a community changed forever,” she said.
“In 2024, more than 1,600 people were killed and 29,000 seriously injured on Britain’s roads. These are not accidents - they are preventable tragedies.
“We know the risks. We have the evidence. We understand the solutions. The question is: do we have the courage to act?
“Five deaths a day is not inevitable. It is unacceptable. The Road to Zero is not a dream. It is a choice.
“If we combine evidence with innovation, back it with legislation, and drive it with political will, we can deliver a safer decade for families, communities, and future generations.”
Ends
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