RTCs & speeding 1131/2024

FOI Reference: 1131/2024

Request

1. I would like to know the number of road traffic accidents on the A4067 and the level of seriousness in the last 10 years Dec 2014- Dec 2024.
2. I would also like to know how many motorists have been caught speeding on this road during the same period, the type of vehicle and the speed recoded.                            

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Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1) (a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1) (b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.

Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Dyfed Powys Police, 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.

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information you have requested. However, we are withholding the whole of the requested information since we consider that the Section 12(1) exemption the Cost of Compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit applies to it.

Section 12 (1) – The cost of compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit

Section 12(1) states: “…Section 1 (1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.”

The cost of providing you with the information requested in respect of your request 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 exceed 18 hours (i.e. minimum of 160 hours) to comply with this part of your request. The regulations can be located at:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/3244

The Freedom of Information department has been advised that the information in respect of Part of Question 2 of your request, is not held in an easily retrievable format.

In light of this and in order to accurately obtain the information relative to your request for the time frame stipulated would involve Dyfed Powys Police accessing and manually reviewing 2,402 Traffic Offence Reports, for data from 12^th May 2023 onwards, in order to identify the offence and location.

It has also been established that it would take a minimum of 4 minutes to review and obtain the information for a single record in respect of your request. 

The process outlined results in the below time estimate.

2,402 x 4 minutes = 160 hours

Time estimate to complete task = 160 hours

In accordance therefore with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for the Whole of this request under Section 17(5) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information, is relying on a claim that section 12 or section 14 applies must, within the time for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice stating that fact.

You may wish to refine and resubmit your request so that it reduces the time shown above to fall within the 18 hours, should you require any further advice in relation to this matter please don’t hesitate to contact the Freedom of Information Unit. Please also be advised that should the request be refined, it does not remove the public authorities right to cite exemptions if relevant.

Although excess cost removes the forces obligations under the Freedom of Information Act to provide any further information, as a gesture of goodwill, I have provided information, relative to question 1 & 2(From 1 Jan 2014 – 12^th May 2023), of your request which has been easily retrievable and outlined below. I trust this is helpful, but it does not affect our legal right to rely on the fees regulations for the remainder of your request.

I have also attached the below links, which may be of assistance in answering your request.

System used for reporting by the public in relation to driving offences = Operation SNAP:

https://gosafesnap.wales/

Response for this is publicised on the Op SNAP FAQ’s:

https://www.gosafe.org/faqs/

Response Q1

Information regarding Injury RTC’s at the specific location can be found on the CRASH Map website:

https://www.crashmap.co.uk/Search

The A4067 runs through the Dyfed-Powys Police and South Wales Police area. This response only relates to accidents that have occurred in the DPP area.  

There have been 10 Non Injury Road traffic collisions at this location.

Since the introduction of our new CRASH system in May 2023, there have been 14 Injury RTC’s which have been recorded as occurring on the A4067.

Please note:

With regards to damage only RTC’s figures above, these relate to when an officer has submitted an RTC report for the incident, and the location has been recorded as the A4067

Response Q2

From 1 Jan 2014 – 12^th May 2023 there were 95 people stopped by an officer and issued with a TOR.

It should be noted that as a result of the systems adopted by Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to the recording of such information that the information released may or may not be accurate.

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 27/12/2024)