News Release

5th September 2003

NO SPEED LIMIT FOR STAFFORDSHIRE FIRE ENGINES

Michael Fabricant is urging Staffordshire Fire Chiefs not to impose fixed speed limits on fire engines off on emergency calls. This follows the West Midlands fire service decision this month to restrict engines en route to an incident to stay under 45 in 30 zones, and under 80 on the motorway. Over recent years many former 60mph limits have been reduced to 30. Under the new rules, fire engines will have to stick to 45mph on their way to a fire, when only a few years ago they would have driven at nearly 60 returning back to the fire station after the incident.

Michael Fabricant says "I recognise that Birmingham's decision was made to reduce road traffic incidents, but I believe that we in Staffordshire should trust the judgement of our local fire fighters.

"Only they can assess road conditions and balance that with the severity of the fire emergency and whether lives are at risk in the incident. Staffordshire's fire crews are experienced and the drivers of fire tenders make these sorts of assessments daily. While I am not sure that many of Staffordshire's Fire & Rescue vehicles can travel much faster than 80 mph anyway, with the opening next year of the M6 Toll road, it is even more important that limits are not set on emergency vehicles answering distress calls.