Drivers' group asks 'Why are drivers being arrested for having an accident?'

April 12, 2011 - PRLog -- D.P.U. Says: 'There is undoubtedly a trend to arrest drivers now who are involved in a fatal accident. During the week ending 12th April, several such arrest were made across the UK.'

Founder Keith Peat, and ex patrol officer says: 'There always was a power of arrest for causing death by reckless driving which was considered very serious but even then, the prime facie case was usually established before arrests were made and charges brought.

The law has been changed to the extent that, in effect, the police have a power of arrest for just about anything but generally speaking, because they cannot establish or are not satisfied with an individual's identity or bona fides at the scene of any event. In other words, the officers don't need to know as much law to make a legal arrest now and only need to be 'dissatisfied' with a 'suspect's' ability to identify himself.'

He goes on to ask: 'How many drivers involved in these terrible accidents, clearly traumatised and distressed, need to be arrested to assist the investigation? After all there is more death from accidents in the home yet home owners are not generally arrested for having accidents and nor are newsagents for selling tobacco either.'

The D.P.U. point out that; 'it seems that the only criterion from one accident and another, where one would merely end in bent metal with no police interest and another by the terrible coincidence that human flesh got between the metal, results in the extreme measure of being deprived of liberty. Arresting people may well have been made simpler but depriving people of their liberty is as serious and extreme as it ever was.'

The D.P.U. is calling for police to exercise their new powers more reasonably than seems to be the case. 'It seems very harsh, without prime facie evidence, to subject anyone to arrest for being part of a terrible accident.' they say.