| DfT promotes debate to take road safety beyond 2010 |
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Page 2 of 2 We are not stopping there though. We will soon be consulting on plans to reform the driver training and assessment programme as part of our efforts to produce better drivers and reduce casualties. The question now, though, is how best to proceed with the road safety strategy after 2010 and whether the model we have in place is effective enough to deal with the demands of the situation on tomorrow’s roads. Targets Take targets, for example. The targets we have represent a simple expression of the objectives for the current 10-year plan and have been welcomed as a tool for galvanising efforts at local and national level. Not only are they firmly grounded in research evidence, but they also benefit from extensive consultation with stakeholders. As such, they are certainly useful. But they will only remain useful as long as the targets we develop for the post-2010 period stay credible, inspiring, and have broad support among those who have to meet them. We also need to think about timescales. Should the targets for another 10-year period, or should our aspirations stretch out to 2030 or even further ahead? What about more specific targets? At present, we are targeting deaths and serious injuries combined (KSIs). But the statistics show that we’re seeing greater reductions in injuries than deaths, so does that need to change? The data certainly indicates that we need to renew our focus on some of the major contributors to fatal accidents. Drink-driving, for example, still accounts for about the same number of deaths as it did in the mid-1990s. But there are others as well, such as the number of car occupants who still – amazingly – are not wearing seatbelts. Excessive speed remains a problem too. Our strategy for 2010 and beyond needs to address all these issues and more. For instance, can we do more to combat fatigue or compensate for the inevitable human error? What role can technology play? And where can we most effectively implement education programmes to help young drivers, children and other pedestrians. At the same time, we need to put road safety into the wider policy context. As we are trying to reduce casualties, other important l concerns will include reducing carbon emissions; raising levels of physical activity such as walking and cycling; and even demographic changes that will see a higher proportion of older people on the roads. Complex issues I appreciate that these are complex issues that have far-reaching implications in some cases. But hopefully they will help spark the high standard of debate we need to ensure we end up with the optimal road safety strategy that will keep cutting casualty rates on our roads. Clearly, this is more of a journey than a destination, but by taking the right steps now we will progress more quickly toward the safer future we all want to see. Over the coming months, DfT officials will be looking for your ideas and insights across all aspects of engineering, education and enforcement. A formal consultation will then go out later this year and that is when we will start to lay the foundations for the policies that will take us past 2010. That’s why I am asking the readers of Transport Business to join in this debate and play their part in shaping the cohesive road safety strategy that can meet the challenges of a new era. The Government cannot do this alone. It will take a concerted effort from business, local authorities, engineers, fleet owners and indeed everyone that has a stake in the UK’s roads - so do please get involved. If you would like to respond to this article please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with your comments. |
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