Staffordshire’s deputy police, fire and crime commissioner has stepped down as chair of the county’s Safer Roads Partnership following the ongoing issue with his car.
Dave Evans had already been fined after driving an untaxed vehicle for three months and without a valid MOT for 19 days. The case was first reported in February and has since been reviewed by Staffordshire’s police, fire and crime panel.
Why he stepped down
Mr Evans told the panel he had chosen to resign from the road safety role so the situation would not distract from the partnership’s work.
“I think it’s worth me saying publicly that this was a genuine mistake. But mistakes happen and they do have consequences.
“I have already stepped down as chair of the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership. My main reason for doing so it because I’m well aware of the immense amount of work done by volunteers, by our road camera team, by our police officers, by the county council and the city council to keep people safe.
“The last thing those people needed was to be answering questions from the public about me. I think it was the right thing to do, and that’s why I did it.”
The Safer Roads Partnership brings together police and local councils to improve road safety across Staffordshire, including areas such as Stone.
What happened
As reported previously, the issue arose after payments for vehicle tax stopped in November 2025 when Mr Evans switched bank accounts.
He said he was unable to complete a payment through the DVLA website at the time, as the system indicated the car was already taxed. He also believed the MOT covered a full 12 months from the date he bought the vehicle, when it had in fact expired on Thursday 29 January 2026.
Both issues were only resolved after a media enquiry in February. The commissioner’s office referred the matter to Staffordshire Police, which issued a non endorsable fixed penalty fine.
Panel response
A report into the case was considered by the panel on Monday 13 April 2026.
Members agreed that stepping down from the Safer Roads Partnership had been the right decision and said they considered the matter closed.
Anthony Screen said he was satisfied with how the issue had been handled.
“I’m personally satisfied that the police, fire and crime panel’s review of this matter has been thorough, transparent and properly conducted.
“While the deputy commissioner’s decision to step down as chair of the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership is a loss to the partnership, it was the correct decision, in my opinion, to protect its integrity and to maintain public confidence.
“I would now personally like this matter to be put behind us, so the partnership can continue its important work of improving road safety in Staffordshire.”
Panel chair Richard Cox added:
“Most of us here are elected by the public, and high standards are expected, we all sign up to that. Mistakes do happen, but it’s about learning from those mistakes.”
What happens next
Ben Adams has now taken over as chair of the Safer Roads Partnership.
