Police urged to eco-drive

Police drivers have been issued with instructions on how to drive to minimise their carbon emissions and reduce the fuel consumption of the police car fleet.

According to the Association of Chief Police Officers, an environmental driving section is to be added to their handbook and they will be assessed on their driving.

Among the suggestions is turning their vehicles off at traffic lights and minimising their use of air conditioning.

Patrol cars have also been urged to cut down their speed, as energy consumption increases exponentially with speed, and to avoid "aggressive" acceleration.

It is hoped the new guidelines will help police forces save money. Petrol price rises have seen the Metropolitan Police's fuel bill jump by £1.5 million to £12.2 million a year, according to the Mirror.

However, North Wales assistant chief constable Ian Shannon said that policing practice would not be jeopardized by the driving tips, noting that the savings could help pay for more police officers.

He said: "We are not saying green principles take precedence when officers are engaged in response or pursuit driving. However, only a small amount of driving is done for that."