Road safety on the agenda

Making roads safe for all users is a key priority for the Welsh Assembly Government

Road safety has been improving: since the early 1980s, the number of recorded casualties in Wales has fallen. However, much more needs to be done as the overall number of collisions and casualties is still far too high. And there are particular problems:

• Child pedestrians– 56 per cent of killed or seriously injured child road casualties are pedestrians (1994-98 average)
• Links to poverty – pedestrians in poorer areas     are far more likely to become a road casualty.  

There is also a concern that a significant number of collisions and casualties are not reported (meaning that official figures under estimate the problem); the reduction in casualty numbers is partly the result of a decline in walking and cycling; and dangerous road user behaviour – such as inappropriate speed – is still far too common.

In 2000, the Welsh Assembly Government set targets for the reduction in road casualties in the period up to 2010. Compared with the average for 1994-1998 the targets aim for:

• a 40 per cent reduction in the total number of people killed and seriously injured;
• a 50 per cent reduction in the total number of children killed or seriously injured;
• a 10 per cent reduction in the rate of slight casualties per 100 million vehicle km travelled.

Good progress is being made towards achieving these targets. By 2006 the number of people killed or seriously injured had fallen by 32 per cent and the number of children killed or seriously injured had fallen by 50 per cent. The slight casualty rate had fallen by
25 per cent.

Three organisations will have the ultimate responsibility for delivering this strategy: Local authorities for safety schemes on local roads and local road safety education, training & publicity; The Welsh Assembly Government for safety schemes on Trunk Roads and national road safety initiatives; and the Police for road traffic law enforcement and road safety advice. In addition, there are many initiatives that are being promoted by the Department for Transport (DfT) at a UK level.
    
The focus for improving road safety is the need to change road user behaviour – given that the majority of all road collisions involve human error. The problems of poor road safety are most keenly felt in local communities – and this is where the Welsh Assembly wishes to focus much of its effort. Many collisions and instances of excessive and inappropriate speed involve people local to the area.

The vision for this strategy is to reduce real and perceived danger on Welsh roads in order to promote safe and sustainable access for all members of society. The Transport Framework for Wales has outlined three strategic objectives: sustainable development; tackling social disadvantage; and promoting equal opportunities.
    
In road safety terms this requires:

• Improving safety for children – especially as pedestrians and cyclists.
• Promoting safe use of "vulnerable" transport modes – walking, cycling, motorcycling and horse riding.
• Reducing excessive and inappropriate speed of motor vehicles.
• Targeting other poor driving practices – use of mobile phones, drink-driving, drug-driving and driving whilst tired.

This strategy recognises that road safety solutions need to be based on evidence as to the causes of road collisions and casualties. Throughout the strategy period, there will be a continuous programme of research into road safety problems and their solutions in Wales.
    
In order to inform this research, there is a need to collect and analyse more information on where collisions and casualties occur, the victims of collisions and casualties, and why collisions and casualties occur.

In the UK as a whole, a third of road deaths (around 1,300 per year) are the result of excessive or inappropriate speed. If applied to Wales, this would translate to around 70 people killed every year through excessive or inappropriate speed. On average, for every one mile per hour reduction in average speed, there is a five per cent reduction in the number of collisions.
    
The popular term "speeding" can relate to both exceeding the signed speed limit and driving inappropriately for the road conditions (even if the signed limit is being observed). Driving within the signed speed limit is not always appropriate – especially if factors such as adverse weather conditions are present.
    
From the point of view of the non-car user, excessive or inappropriate speed is one of the most important safety concerns. There is some evidence to suggest that the decline in walking and cycling in the UK is partly the result of the safety fears brought about by traffic speed.
    
Speed limits are not always applied consistently and as a result are hard to understand. This lack of understanding can lead to speed limits being ignored.

Around 70 per cent of all recorded road casualties in Wales involved car users. Furthermore, 52 per cent of all casualties occur on roads in built-up areas, two thirds of KSI casualties occur on motorways and non-built up roads.
    
Road danger is the result of interaction between the road, the vehicle and the user. Although road design will continue to play an important role in improving safety, it is both impossible and undesirable to alter a network to accommodate all human error.
    
People must come to accept the reasoning behind responsible driving practices. Those who will always drive irresponsibly in spite of warnings of the consequences will be dealt with by the criminal law. Responsible driving will be actively promoted. The strategy for improving safety for motor vehicle users (drivers and passengers) in Wales therefore addresses both road user behaviour and highway design issues.

There has been a two-thirds decline in the number of motorcyclist casualties between 1981-85 and 2000. However, there has been a decline of 29 per cent in travel by motorcycle since 1986 although more recently there has been a large increase in registrations in the UK as a whole (a 226 per cent increase since 1993).
    
The 16-19 age group is most at risk of being a motorcyclist casualty, although the rate has declined significantly since the early to mid 1980s. In contrast to all the other age groups, the casualty rate is growing among people in the 30-59 age range.
    
Over twice as many motorcyclist KSI casualties occurred on roads in non built-up areas – a reflection of the greater speeds when a collision occurs. In total, there are more casualties on built-up roads but a higher proportion of these result in slight injuries.

For far too long, road safety has been seen as someone else’s problem. Quite often, it is said that a section of road is "dangerous". However, this implies that a collision is "caused" by the road when, in reality, it is the road user that is ultimately responsible.
    
As road users, each and every one is responsible for their own safety and that of others. Our behaviour on the road means that we are all part of the road safety problem and solution. The purpose of this strategy is to ensure that everyone, either as individuals or organisations, plays a part in implementing the actions needed to improve safety on our roads.