Skip to main content

Fuel savings

Police in the US and the UK are being forced to tackle motoring expenses due to rising fuel costs. In various US states, police are being told to turn off engines and air-conditioning when vehicles are at rest and that patrols should open windows and park under trees to stay cool on warm days. In some states, drivers stopped for speeding will also have to pay a fuel surcharge on top of their fine, to cover the cost of the fuel used in their pursuit. Meanwhile in the UK, the Devon and Cornwall police force i
July 19, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Police in the US and the UK are being forced to tackle motoring expenses due to rising fuel costs. In various US states, police are being told to turn off engines and air-conditioning when vehicles are at rest and that patrols should open windows and park under trees to stay cool on warm days. In some states, drivers stopped for speeding will also have to pay a fuel surcharge on top of their fine, to cover the cost of the fuel used in their pursuit. Meanwhile in the UK, the Devon and Cornwall police force is buying 120 bicycles for use by its officers on local patrols, as well as introducing car-sharing for officers attending meetings or non-urgent calls. Devon and Cornwall police force has seen its fuel bill rise some £300,000 to £2.5 million/year due to price hikes.

And in English city Plymouth, road users complaining about fuel prices recently opted for a leisurely pony and trap, instead of driving a car or truck during a go-slow protest drive around the city.

Related Content

  • Zipping up road lanes
    September 28, 2018
    QMB has a Lindsay Road Zipper on duty near Montreal. World Highways deputy editor David Arminas climbed aboard As vice president of Canadian barrier specialist QMB, based in Laval, Quebec, Marc-Andre Seguin is sanguine about the future for moveable barriers. On the one hand, it looks good. The oft-stated advantage of moveable barriers is that the systems are cheaper to install than adding a lane or two to a highway or bridge. Directional changes to lanes can boost volume on a road without disrupting tra
  • Innovative paving techniques being utilised
    February 15, 2021
    Innovative warm mix materials are now being offered by key contractors to deliver longer surface life combined with more sustainable operations
  • Concern over seat belt use in Europe
    November 1, 2012
    Concern has been expressed over recidivist motorists in Europe who continue to flout seatbelt laws, despite strong evidence that they risk serious injury or death. According to recent police safety data, results from a recent pan-European seatbelt control operation show that nearly 100,000 drivers and passengers were detected not wearing seatbelts. A total of 25 countries took part in the operation, which was co-ordinated by the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL). Of the final total of 97,489 detectio
  • Thousands of potholes to be fixed in Staffordshire, UK spring blitz
    March 27, 2014
    Around 7,000 extra potholes are to be repaired across Staffordshire as part of a €2.5 million (£2.1 million) package of investment in the English county’s roads. Staffordshire County Council is also drafting in two extra pothole-blitzing machines – in addition to the two already out tackling potholes and improving road surfaces in the county. The two extra machines use high velocity patching and can tackle stretches of defects and are particularly effective on more rural, less constructed roads.