Rutland police sergeant reveals officers are called to A1 almost every day

Police are being called to the A1 almost daily, a sergeant has revealed.

When the road is clear, it takes a driver about 10 minutes to travel through Rutland’s stretch of the A1.

Yet the short section of road - from South Witham to the A43 Wothorpe junction - is a source of hundreds of reports to the police every year.

Rutland’s police sergeant, Liam Palmer, estimates officers are called to the busy road almost every day.

But crashes only make up a fraction of these reports.

He said: “Our attendance on the A1 is very regular.

“It gives us high demand.”

He added: “We know it’s difficult and can impact hugely on the community.

“There can be a wide scope of reasons for why we are there. It’s not a daily accident.”

In the past five years, on the Rutland stretch of the A1 there have been four crashes resulting in serious injuries and one death. There were 11 more incidents which led to injury.

Broken down vehicles, obstructions on the road and dangerous drivers, make up the majority of reports to police.

All drivers have a responsibility for making the road safer, according to Sgt Palmer.

“It’s a 70mph road but that’s not a target,” said Sgt Palmer.

“Drive to the conditions. Certainly at this time of the year when there’s ice and snow on the ground 70mph is not appropriate.

“Also, keep ample space from the vehicle in front to allow time to break.”

Appropriate lighting, sufficient fuel and vehicle maintenance should all be checked before travelling on any road.

Vehicles being stocked with emergency supplies such as high-vis clothing, food and drink, and layers is also helpful.

“It’s common sense but if you are doing it on a back road you should be on the A1,” he said.

“There’s more risk of serious harm on a fast road because of the speed you travel.

“We are trying to get the message across for people to use their common sense.”

Breakdowns, tyre blowouts and crashes can happen to anyone, so drivers are being urged to swat up on what to do if they find themselves in a dangerous situation on the A1.

In the first instance drivers should attempt to move their vehicle to a safe place off the carriageway, but if that isn’t possible they should get out and stand away from the road.

Any dangerous obstructions to the road, whether it is a vehicle or debris, should be reported to the police urgently.

Having What3Words, an app which divides the world into three metre by three metre squares which gives an exact location, allows police to get to the scene much quicker.

When police are called to the A1, it’s not just the incidents they have to contend with but also the tailbacks of queuing vehicles.

To help them manoeuvre through the traffic, Sgt Palmer encourages cars not to sit bumper-to-bumper.

“Don’t be pressured by other drivers into moving - if people are unsure they should stay where they are and allow us to manoeuvre past,” he said.

Do you think drivers should be doing more to stay safe on the A1? Let us know in the comments.