9.2 Прочитай, письменно переведи текст road policing unit и перескажи:

A RPU is the highway patrol unit of a British police force. Most territorial police forces established traffic departments in the early 1950s, although the first was established by the Metropolitan Police Service in 1919, but it was with the opening of the M1 motorway in November 1959 that the need for the police to have a specialist department dedicated to policing the new roads was recognised. The 1960s saw the start of construction of new motorways, so the traffic departments grew. One of the first fatal accidents on the M1 occurred near Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire in December 1959.

9.3 Прочитай и письменно переведи текст responsibilities:

RPUs work with the National Roads Policing Strategy, which has five strands:

• Casualty reduction.

• Counter-terrorism.

• Reducing anti-social use of the roads.

• Denying criminals the use of the roads.

• Public reassurance by high visibility patrolling of the road network.

RPU officers are responsible for patrolling the main motorways and large roads throughout the territorial police force area. In addition to their general road policing duties, they assist with various operations aimed at improving road safety and are also at the forefront in tackling vehicle crime and the criminal use of the roads network. They are also available to back up other units, as they are constantly roaming an area as part of their high visibility patrolling work.

A sub-unit of the RPU is the Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) or Forensic Collision Investigation and Reconstruction Unit (FCIRU), which exists to manage the follow-up investigations into all fatal and very serious collisions. The specially-trained teams attend the scenes of all such incidents, where, amongst other things, they take numerous measurements of the final layout of the scene and examine vehicles, all in a bid to piece together the cause of the crash.

9.4 Прочитай и письменно переведи текст equipment:

The ProViDa In Car Video System is fitted to both marked and unmarked traffic patrol cars and motorcycles with the aim of improving driver behaviour and road safety. It is used to detect traffic offences and to educate, advise and, if necessary, prosecute offenders.

Components of the system:

• Colour video camera with pan and zoom control in the front and back.

• Video data generator which records date and time.

• Police pilot speed detection device and speed indicator (recording both police, and other vehicles speed).

• Mobile VHS video cassette recorder with a remote control unit. VHS is now being replaced with Digital Hard Drive Recorders or DVD recording systems.

• Two colour monitors, one each for front and rear seat occupants.

Whilst on patrol, a police officer who observes a blatant offence or an example of bad driving can record the incident on tape. Once they have stopped the driver concerned, they can then invite the motorist to sit in the police car, where the incident is replayed. A motorist can request a copy of the video evidence should the matter be dealt with at court.

Depending on the circumstances of the offence, the motorist can then be advised regarding their driving, cautioned or prosecuted, when the video recording can be used in court if necessary.

JAI PROVIDA 2000 is a sophisticated in-car video and speed enforcement system for 24-hour detection of traffic offences and criminal acts. System recordings can be used in court as visual evidence, including reconstruction of events.

VASCAR (Visual Average Speed Computer And Recorder) is a technology for determining the speed of a moving vehicle. It is used by police officers to catch speeding motorists. These devices are mounted on a patrol car's console, allowing the officer easy access to its controls. Many main roads in the UK now have horizontal lines of about two feet in length painted on the carriageway, which allow the VASCAR system to be calibrated.

VASCAR units were first fitted to police vehicles in the mid-1970s.

The automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system is housed in a mobile unit. Both colour and infrared cameras are used to capture images of vehicle number plates as they pass by. The index number is read automatically and checked against a number of databases (including DVLA) held on computer.

If a match is made to a vehicle of police interest, the ANPR operator receives an alarm. The operator can then alert other officers to stop the vehicle. The process from reading the number plate to an alarm notification takes less than two seconds.

Most commonly used vehicles are Volvo V70 T5, Vauxhall Omega, BMW 5 Series and Vauxhall Vectra, frequently in estate variants. BMW X5, Range Rover and Land Rover Discovery, together with the occasional Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Nissan, Toyota or other 4x4s are also commonplace, especially for motorway duties. Large vans such as theIveco Daily or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter can be seen at major collisions. Traffic cars usually carry the following equipment:

• Traffic cones (usually sixteen in 4x4s and ten in estate cars)

• Cone lamps

• Signs (usually ten, consisting of four "accident" signs, two "slow" signs, two divert arrow signs, one "use hard shoulder", and "rejoin main carriageway")

• Groundsheet

• Tow ropes and shackles (4x4s only)

• Fire extinguisher

• Crowbar and Hacksaw

• Axe, Broom and Shovel

• Industrial gloves

• Torch

• First aid kit

• Resuscitation kit

• Infectious diseases protection kit

• Space blankets

• Water container

• "stinger" tyre deflation unit

• Teddy bear to console a distraught child after an accident

• Breathalyzer kit to detect the presence of alcohol in an individual's breath

• ST2000 Radar gun

Traffic officers wear a white-topped (day-glo yellow for Cleveland force) patrol cap, or a white-topped bowler for female officers. When traffic departments were first set up the officers were issued with long white coats. The first hi-visibility coats were day-glo orange, but since the late 1970s the preference has been for day-glo saffron (sometimes referred to as Saturn) yellow. Traffic Officers receive the same training as non-traffic officers in public order duties but are trained to a much higher standard in automobile control.