The AA is urging the Government to recruit an additional 1,000 dedicated traffic police officers after new Home Office figures revealed that the number of specialist roads policing officers across England and Wales has fallen once again.
As of 31 March 2026, there were 4,143 dedicated traffic officers on patrol, six fewer than the previous year and 1,094 fewer than the peak recorded in 2016. The motoring organisation believes the continued reduction in officer numbers is contributing to a perception that many traffic offences are going unchecked.
Research carried out by The AA found that 55% of motorists believe careless driving offences, including middle-lane hogging and tailgating, are often not dealt with because there are too few traffic police on the roads. Drivers also expressed concerns that other offences are slipping through the net. Nearly half (47%) think failing to wear a seatbelt frequently goes undetected, while 46% believe handheld mobile phone use behind the wheel is often missed. A further 43% said they feel drug-driving offences are not being identified due to the shortage of dedicated roads policing officers.
The survey also highlighted strong public support for increasing visible policing on the road network. Almost nine in 10 respondents (88%) said they believe having more traffic officers would improve safety within their communities. Meanwhile, 79% felt that a larger roads policing presence would also help tackle wider criminal activity, including vehicle theft, drug offences and human trafficking, as traffic officers often play a key role in detecting crimes beyond motoring offences.
While technologies such as speed and traffic cameras continue to play an important role in enforcement, The AA says motorists still want to see officers actively patrolling the roads rather than relying solely on automated systems.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said: “Drivers are telling us loud and clear that they want traffic offences to be dealt with, but the continuous fall in traffic police is making it easier for people to get away with it.
Be it drink or drug driving, driving without insurance or using a defective car, too many people think it is going unpunished. While there is wide acceptance that cameras play an important role in helping to police the roads, drivers are concerned that forces are becoming too reliant on them.
The public wants to see a proper visible presence on our roads, not just an assumption that a camera will deal with it. We need at least 1,000 more cops in cars to help keep our roads safe, but also tackle wider crime within our communities.”