Thames Valley Launches Dedicated Roads Policing Tasking Team to Tackle Harm

A new Roads Policing Unit (RPU) Tasking Team will officially go live on 16 February 2026, reinforcing efforts to reduce road-related harm across the Thames Valley.

The specialist team has been established to enhance the region’s response to dangerous driving and serious collisions, supporting a safer environment for all road users. Operating across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire, the unit will adopt a data-led approach to identifying the areas and behaviours presenting the highest risk.

Each month, the team will assess current collision trends, intelligence reports and emerging threats to determine priority locations and offences. Based on this analysis, officers will deploy proactively to target the behaviours contributing most significantly to harm on the roads.

Inspector Simon Hills from the Roads Policing Unit said the focus will be firmly on proactive enforcement.

“The team’s primary role is visible, intelligence-driven roads policing. The public can expect to see increased enforcement activity aimed at those who disregard the law,” he said.

“We will use the full range of enforcement powers available to us to address dangerous, impaired and irresponsible driving. Taskings will be set through robust internal processes to ensure deployments are always informed by reliable data and a clear understanding of where intervention will have the greatest impact.

“In addition to proactive patrols, the team will support wider policing operations and will focus on individuals identified through intelligence, including those suspected of drink or drug driving. This gives us a stronger position than ever to prevent serious incidents and ultimately save lives.”

The launch of the RPU Tasking Team coincides with the Government’s recently introduced Roads Strategy, which calls for more targeted, preventative action to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on the UK’s road network.

By embedding a structured, intelligence-led model, the new unit aims to deliver a more coordinated and effective approach to road safety across the Thames Valley, ensuring enforcement activity is focused where it is needed most.