Road traffic accident investigation costs

Corporate Information Management Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road,

Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Facsimile 01275 814667

Private

Mr McKenna

[FOI #18698 email]

Our Reference 09/586
Your reference
Date 30.09.09

Dear Mr McKenna

In relation to your request below can you please clarify the time frame
for your request, and with relation to question 1 whether you require
information on slight, serious or fatal accidents, or all.

1. The total number of road traffic collisions/accidents/incidents
investigated by Avon and Somerset police

2. The number of the above that involved buses and/or coaches

3. The number of the above that involved cyclists

4. The number of the above that included lorries, vans and/or other
commercial vehicles

5. The number of the above that involved taxis and/or private hire
vehicles

6. The number of the above that involved trams and/or other rail
vehicles

7. The number of the above that involved only private cars

8. The total and average amount of money spent by the Metropolitan
Police (including any recoverable costs, but not including any
prosecutions) on investigations in each of the above categories.

9. The total and average amount of time (in terms of person-hours)
spent on investigations in each of the above categories.

If the figures are not easily available in this format, what I am
interested in is the average cost per investigation for each of the
modes of transport in terms of money and time. If your figures are
not broken down into the categories above then I will accept a
breakdown into similar categories with a definition of each
category.

Please could you provide the information in Open Document
spreadsheet format (.ods).

I will be unable to start to process your request until I have received
your clarification.

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Officer

Freedom of Information Officer
Corporate Information Management Department

Avon and Somerset Constabulary

Corporate Information Management Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road,

Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Facsimile 01275 814667

Private

Chris McKenna
[FOI #18698 email] Our Reference 09/586
Your reference
Date 11 December 2009

Dear Mr McKenna

I write in connection with your request for information dated 30th
September 2009 concerning all accidents investigated by the Constabulary.

Your request has now been considered and the information in relation to
questions 2 to 7 inclusive is provided in the attachment below. In respect
of questions 1, 8 and 9, I am unable to provide this information for the
reasons stated below.

<<09-586.ods>>

Please note that section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
requires Avon and Somerset Constabulary, when refusing to provide such
information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the
applicant with a notice which: (a) states that fact, (b) specifies the
exemption in question and (c) states (if that would not otherwise be
apparent) why the exemption applies.

In order to satisfy each of the questions 1, 8 and 9, would involve the
identification, retrieval and extraction of specific information from each
and every individual accident record held. Due to the many thousands of
records held for each of the years in question, to carry out this exercise
would prove to be excessive. In addition to this, new data would have to
be created as a result (this specific information is not centrally held
and therefore not recorded in the format required) which is not a
requirement under the act. This attracts an exemption to disclosure in the
form of S12 - Fees Limit.

The cost of providing you with the information is above the amount to
which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of locating and
retrieving the information exceeds the “appropriate level” as stated
in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations
2004. It is estimated that it would cost at least £450 to comply with
your request.

Please note, I am only able to provide the spreadsheet with a .xls
extension and not a .ods extension as requested due to the systems used by
the Constabulary.

Your request for an internal appeal has been noted, however this process
is in relation to information provided by or with-held by the
Constabulary. I apologise for the delay in providing you with a response
and by way of explanation this delay has been caused by the overwhelming
demand and the increasingly complex nature of requests being received by
this office.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Officer

Freedom of Information Officer
Corporate Information Management Department

Please note:

1. Requests and responses may be published on Avon and Somerset
Constabulary’s website (within 24 hours), some of which may
contain a link to additional information, which may provide
you with further clarification.
2. Whilst we may verbally discuss your request with you in order
to seek clarification, all other communication should be made
in writing.
3. Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides you with the right to
request a re-examination of your case under its review
procedure (copy attached).

<<A&S Appeals Procedure - E-Mail.doc>>