Routine traffic patrols are being reduced on Kent's motorways - and increased on minor roads.

Patrols will now be focused on all roads on an ‘as needs basis’, rather than just the routine motorway patrols.

The move was prompted by research from Kent’s Strategic Roads Policing Unit which showed more people are at risk of being killed or seriously injured on high speed main roads and rural roads.

It is hoped the move will help them focus on preventing accidents among high risk groups such as young male drivers and motorcyclists.

Head of the Roads Policing Unit, Chief Inspector Roscoe Walford said: “We have used an intelligence-based approach to get the best use from our highly skilled traffic resources for some years now.

“Because our motorways are relatively safe, our intelligence is telling us that we now need to increase the numbers and types of roads that we routinely patrol in order to further reduce the casualties that come from road traffic collisions.”

Kent Police has stressed the lower number of motorway patrols will not affect Kent Police emergency response times and it will still respond to all injury road traffic crashes reported on Kent’s roads.

It hopes to use its high number of enforcement cameras and strong links with the Highways Agency to ensure motorways are still policed effectively.

The number of people killed or seriously injured on Kent’s roads has steadily fallen over the past five years from 1,321 in 2002 to 802 in 2007.