‘ Spend speed fines cash on road safety’
SURVEY: North Yorkshire residents believe that the money generated by speeding fines should be automatically reinvested in road safety measures, says a new survey.
Around 4,000 people responded to the poll, which showed support for higher penalties for mobile phone use at the wheel and speeding.
NORTH YORKSHIRE residents believe that the money generated by speeding fines should be automatically reinvested in road safety measures, according to a new survey.
Around 4,000 people from the county responded to the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners poll, which showed support for higher penalties for mobile phone use at the wheel and speeding.
In North Yorkshire, 51 per cent of respondents said they witnessed traffic offences in their neighbourhood daily, and only 37 per cent described their local roads as being safe. Eight in ten are in favour of more enforcement by police.
Two- thirds agreed that the fines for speeding and not wearing a seatbelt should be increased from £ 100 to £ 200.
And 86 per cent thought fixed penalty revenue should be spent on road safety enforcement activity and distributed between police forces rather than going towards general government expenditure, as is currently the case.
The results of the survey have been used to try and influence a Department for Transport consultation on roads policing which closed yesterday.
North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan said: “Thank you to those who had their say on road safety and roads policing in this survey.
“I know that offences like speeding, not wearing seatbelts and using mobile phones behind the wheel present huge challenges for communities across North Yorkshire and York, especially in rural areas.
“The responses to the survey both here and nationwide show a strong public desire for more enforcement to catch those breaking the law on our roads, greater penalties to deter those who flout the rules and more ringfencing of the fines levied to put towards greater detection of criminals and investment in road safety.
“I look forward to hearing the Department for Transport’s response to this survey and the wider consultation on roads policing and hope they listen to your views.”
In 2019, 398 people were killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents in North Yorkshire, Department for Transport figures show.
This was a decrease of nine per cent compared to 2018, when there were 435.
Yet there were six extra deaths in 2019 compared to the previous year – a total of 38 fatalities.
The figures represent all accidents that happened on a public road and involved at least one vehicle, horse rider or cyclist.
The road safety charity Brake has criticised the country’s accident statistics, claiming that they have ‘‘ stagnated’’ with few signs that the fatality rate is decreasing. They have called for lower speed limits and more funding for roads policing.
Offences like speeding present huge challenges. Julia Mulligan, police and crime commissioner.