National lead for roads policing, Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, said: "These figures are based on inaccurate assumptions and a misunderstanding about how police forces deploy officers on our roads. The terminology used simply does not capture all roads policing resources and is both incomplete and misleading.

"Every Chief Constable has had to make difficult decisions due to the financial cuts imposed on the police service. No area of policing has been immune. But despite this, latest figures from the Department for Transport show the number of people killed in road accidents reported to the police has fallen to its lowest ever number since national records began in 1926.
Last December police across the country breathalysed nearly 20,000 more drivers compared with the previous year and found fewer drivers had failed, despite the increase in testing. We remain absolutely determined to make our roads as safe as they can be."