Ratcliff said blue light police pursuits were rare and there were plenty of trained officers able to carry out emergency responses while the training is rolled out.
“We’re enhancing the training to make sure we align with the regulations and also provide that greater level of legal protection to our officers,” she said.
“The public can still expect to see police vans on the road, they can still expect police vans to respond to emergency calls because we already have officers who are trained to do that and we’re just enhancing that capability within the force.
“The instances where police have to pursue suspects or offenders in a vehicle are very rare. There are fewer than three of those types of calls a day across the country.
“We have a significant number of officers who are trained to undertake those pursuits. They do so on a daily basis and they will continue to do so.”
The Scottish Police Federation – which represents officers up to the rank of chief inspector – has welcomed the training but it believes the restrictions will have a significant, temporary impact.
Brian Jones, the vice-chair of the Scottish Federation, said: “We applaud the force executive for doing this and it’s a huge step for Police Scotland.
“It will have a huge abstraction on operational abilities but it’s something we’ve been asking the force to do for the last 10 to 12 years.
“It not only protects our officers and our members but it also protects the public we serve and gives them confidence that the officers who are attending incidents are suitably trained.”