FIVE THOUSAND VICTIMS OF ‘HIT AND RUN’ DRIVERS IN LONDON “Unacceptable epidemic” says Sian Berry
Nearly five thousand Londoners were victims of hit and run crashes last year as a report published today by Assembly Member Sian Berry shows a 60 per cent increase in such incidents since 2009.
Figures obtained by Sian Berry showed 4,945 people were injured by hit and run drivers in 2015 in the capital. Of those collisions 11 people died, 287 had serious injuries and 4,647 were left with slight injuries.
Hit and runs now make up one in five of all collisions in London. The figures have now risen every year since 2009 both in number terms and as a percentage of total collisions.
Sian Berry recently asked the Mayor of London about prosecutions of hit and run drivers. He responded by saying ‘due to limitations within the current systems utilised by the MPS, it is not possible to report specifically the number of these cases that were subject to prosecution action’.
Green Party London Assembly member Sian Berry said: “With drivers now failing to stop after a shocking one in five crashes, this is a real epidemic that needs real action from the police.
“Londoners are being killed and injured and yet we don’t even know whether hit and run drivers are being brought to justice.
“Hit and runs are associated with other illegal activities such as drunk driving, speeding, being disqualified or simply having no insurance.
“The Mayor needs to ensure that the police enforce the rules of the road and people need to believe that if they run away from a crash they will face consequences,
“I am very disappointed that the Metropolitan Police Service is still not able to provide data on the rate of prosecution of hit and run drivers. “The Mayor has admitted current systems aren’t adequate to track prosecutions and with a new Police and Crime Plan being drafted, replacing unfit systems must be a priority.
“We need to know how effective the police currently are in dealing with these crimes, and to be able to prioritise work to tackle it.” (Source: London Assembly Green Party Group)