We have to educate more traffic officers!

There are too few traffic officers. With the dramatic increase of traffic on the roads the past decades, the number of traffic officers has radically decreased. 1981 there were 1500 traffic officers in Sweden; today that number is 500. In other words, fewer officers have gotten a whole lot more work to do. 

When it comes to truck transports, the traffic officers should not only check the traffic safety of the vehicle. Nowadays, they should monitor the cabotage regulations, make sure that the driver follows the drive and resting times, check that the goods are secured properly and that dangerous goods are transported in the correct manner etc.
How are they supposed to have time for that? 

The consequence is that the police dispatches ordinary police officers who are not specially trained in the field of traffic and do not know the regulations. This in turn leads to many being stopped and sent on their way without the necessary measures being done since these officers do not know what is incorrect. If we should have these rules, we should be able to make sure that they are followed. 

This is why I believe that it is time for an effort in order for us to have more traffic officers on our roads.
The training can start after New Year. 

Photo: Traffic control / The Swedish Police