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

  • Modal shift in city transportation
    March 4, 2016
    The TV footage of the recent heavy smog in Beijing and other Chinese cities has shown clearly why attitudes to personal transportation need to change around the world. Vehicle transportation is a major source of air pollution, with the particulates from older generation diesel engines being particularly dangerous to health.
  • A new tolled highway brings change for Austin, Texas
    February 10, 2020
    A new highway section in Austin, Texas marks a major departure for the southern US city
  • To Hull and back
    July 17, 2012
    Five police cars and a police helicopter were required to halt the progress of a 13 year old boy who stole vehicle in the British city of Hull. During the pursuit the boy drove the VW people carrier at speeds of up to 178km/h and only stopped when he crashed the vehicle into three parked cars. During the pursuit the boy sped through Hull city centre and then took to the M180 motorway. While driving at high speed, the boy overtook other vehicles using the motorway's hard shoulder and finally veered off at an
  • YOUNG MOTORIST
    March 1, 2012
    Police in the US state of Michigan recently managed to stop a vehicle that had been taken without its owner's consent, with a seven year old boy at the wheel. The boy was dressed only in pyjamas and took his mother's Pontiac for a 32km drive before the police were able to apprehend him. The boy had been staying at his mother's house and decided he wanted to go and see his father, so he took the keys and the car. A member of the public saw the boy driving the car and alerted the police who gave pursuit. The