Surrey Police use Brompton fold-up bike to help catch drivers flouting the law

Surrey Police have unveiled their latest tool for catching drivers who are flouting the rules of the road - an iconic fold-up bicycle.

Brompton bicycles have become a much-loved mode of transport and now the long arm of the law is using the bike to access all areas.

The force has even kitted their Brompton with a flashing blue light.

Officers from the Roads Policing Unit took theirs for a spin around Guildford on Tuesday night.

They say "many people" in the Surrey town were pleased to see the "bobby on a Brommy" as he travelled past at an average speed of 13mph.

Other stats provided by the police show officers clocked up more than ten miles on the Brompton, in just under 50 minutes. And burned off 572 calories in the process - despite it being an electric model.

Sharing details of their new vehicle on social media, @SurreyRoadCops said:

'Reduce the Fatal 5'

The Vanguard Road Safety Team is a road crime reduction team that officially launches this autumn.

Surrey Police said: "Once fully operational, the team of 10 police constables and two sergeants will work to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on Surrey’s roads by targeting and reducing road crime.

"The team will work hard to reduce the ‘Fatal 5’ - the leading contributory factors in collisions. These are: Inappropriate speed; Not wearing a seatbelt; Driving under the influence of drink or drugs; Distracted driving, such as using a mobile phone behind the wheel; Careless driving.

"With the support of a casualty data researcher and a communications specialist, the Vanguard Road Safety Team will target specific collision hotspot locations around the county and individuals, where information or intelligence suggests their driving causes a risk of harm to themselves or others.

"In addition, the team will actively engage with the public through various means, including social media educational programmes and large public events.

"Since 2009, the number of collisions in Surrey resulting in death or injury plateaued, but in more recent years, despite restrictions on travel during the Covid-19 pandemic, the numbers have increased. In 2020, 28 people were killed and 571 were seriously injured on Surrey’s roads."

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