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AN INNOVATIVE black box device for emergency vehicles has been launched by a Haverhill company this week at the annual Police show in Wiltshire.

Hartest Holdings of Piperell Way, hopes to see its Harrier Black Box in all emergency vehicles one day and believes it will cut down on the number of accidents they are involved in.

The virtually indestructible device, which works like a plane’s flight recorder, would record technical data. This could be used to analyse what went wrong were a police car or ambulance be involved in a crash.

The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) supports the use of black boxes. Live trials of the Harrier will take place with a police force and two ambulance services over the coming weeks.

David Leeming, chief executive of Hartest Holdings, said the device was designed to record data before and after an accident. This could be used to thoroughly analyse the cause and prevent further accidents.

“Hartest is confident that the Harrier Black Box will provide indisputable statistical data which can be considered as supporting evidence against potential litigation in the case of road traffic accidents.

“It will offer a significant level of protection for authorities, their staff and the general public. We envisage they will become a standard within all emergency vehicles,” Mr Leeniing said.

A PCA report recently revealed that deaths from police pursuits have risen to 25 last year, an increase of 178 per cent in the last four years. The Home Offices estimates there are 2,000 injuries each year as a direct result of high-speed pursuits.

Sir Alistair Graham, chairman of the PCA, described this as “totally unacceptable” and said investigating changes to-police procedure was a top

CAPTION: David Leeming, of Hartest Holdings