THE RAC Foundation has put its full support behind the Road Safety Bill, which is designed to reduce the number of people killed on Britain's roads.

But it warns that more visible policing will be required to ensure the Bill's successful implementation.

It sees the Bill as an important opportunity to ensure the target of cutting deaths and serious injuries by 40 per cent by 2010 is met. That target was set when Prime Minister Tony Blair launched the Road Safety Strategy in March 2000.

New powers and penalties will include:

* police powers to administer evidential roadside breath tests, instead of having to arrest drivers

* increased penalties for drivers using hand-held mobile phones from £30 to £60 and three penalty points

* graduated fixed penalties for speeding whereby higher levels of points would be awarded to those exceeding the speed limit by a wide margin

* powers to require repeat drink-drivers to have to retake their driving test

* powers for courts to reduce penalty points for certain offences if drivers agree to attend and successfully complete a suitable driver improvement course.

With an 11 per cent reduction in traffic police between 1997 and 2001, the Foundation is worried a lack of visible police presence on the roads will hamper the enforcement of the Bill.

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said: "We fully support the objectives of the Road Safety Bill, as it targets drink-drivers, uninsured drivers and careless drivers.

"However we still have concerns over police enforcement. Research shows that people convicted of a serious motoring offence such as drink-driving and dangerous driving are more likely to have previous convictions for other serious crimes.

"Unless traffic policing becomes a national policing priority, many perpetrators of these serious offences will go undetected.

"We need to communicate the message to motorists that motoring laws are in place to reduce accidents and to save lives, and that they should be taken seriously. This could be aided by a more visible police presence on the roads."