County Durham PCC secures national roads policing role set to benefit the county

Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington has taken on a new national leadership role to drive positive changes in road safety, with her work set to benefit local people here in the East Midlands.

Joy Allen has been appointed Joint Lead for Roads Policing on behalf of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), alongside Warwickshire PCC Philip Seccombe.

The new role will put her at the forefront of road safety in the UK and will provide a platform to campaign for policy change and legislative improvements at the highest level.

The PCC is already Joint Lead for Addictions and Substance Misuse on behalf of the APCC and leads on drink and drug driving nationally. She is also co-chair of the National Drugs Lead Forum and joined Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove's Advisory Group 2024-25 earlier this year.

Since first being elected in 2021, the Commissioner has rigorously campaigned for tougher enforcement and legislation to increase safety on the UK's roads, speaking in Westminster to argue the case for mandatory drink/drug-driving courses and harsher penalties for those who cause death by drink or drug driving.

The PCC is actively supporting the British Medical Association's (BMA) efforts to lower the drink drive limit, raising awareness of new evidence that driving impairment arises at levels much lower than current legislation, and she has also called for more investment in enforcement to deny criminals use of the region's roads to help police tackle serious and organised crime, county lines drug operations and other high harm offences.

Joy Allen said: "I am delighted to take on this important role alongside Warwickshire PCC Philip Seccombe. Road safety is an issue close to my heart and has been a priority since my first term. Over the past four years, I have gone to great lengths to ensure Durham has the resources and technology needed to police our roads effectively. Equally, I have campaigned hard to ensure our justice system sufficiently punishes those who recklessly gamble with people's lives and cause devastating tragedies to prevent them from harming other innocent people in the future.

"This new role will support this work and will allow me to challenge key decision makers in the heart of Westminster to protect our roads and the people using them in Durham and beyond. It is a challenge I will approach with passion and unwavering commitment.

"Every life lost is a tragedy and we must not stop until every motorist faces up to their responsibilities behind the wheel and keeps themselves and other road users safe."

As Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington, Joy Allen has worked closely with bereaved families in her fight for legislative reform. 

She recently offered her full support to Karen and John Rowlands, from Durham, who are campaigning alongside other heartbroken parents for new safety measures including graduated driver licences for newly qualified drivers to avoid more deaths on the roads.

Their son, Andrew, was killed in a car crash in June 2020, in a vehicle bought by a friend for £100 the night before which was illegal and unroadworthy. Andrew had been a passenger and died from his injuries.

The PCC has also backed a campaign brought by Shalorna Warner for mandatory lifelong driving bans for drink or drug drivers who claim lives.

Shalorna Warner's eight-month-old son Zackary Blades and sister Karlene Warner, 30, were killed when speeding drunk driver Darryl Anderson, 38, crashed into the car she was driving on the A1 (M) in County Durham on May 31st last year.

She has also been closely involved in Mari Johnson's ‘Life is Precious' campaign, which aims to stop people from using their mobile phones while at the wheel after Mari's mother and stepfather were killed on the A1(M) by a lorry driver who had been using his phone.

The PCC insists dangerous driving behaviours such as speeding and driving under the influence of drink or drugs are often linked to broader patterns of criminality and harm.

She said tackling criminal use of the roads is essential to protecting law-abiding road users and enhancing public safety.

Joy Allen said: "I'm keen to support road safety campaigners and especially bereaved families who are calling for a change of the law to prevent more people being killed or seriously injured on our roads.  We must do everything we can to protect all road users and pedestrians."