New road safety strategy aims to reduce fatalities

THE tragic toll dangerous driving takes in Devon and Cornwall will be highlighted this week as a new road safety strategy for the region is launched.

There were 63 deaths in the Devon and Cornwall Police force area in 2017 – of which 15 were motorcyclists. That was 12 more than in 2016 when 51 people were killed. In 2015 there were 36 road deaths.

Nationally there were 1,793 reported road deaths in 2017, similar to the level in 2012 but fewer than those already killed this year. The decline in fatalities has slowed considerably since 2010 and there was no significant change in the number of fatalities between 2016 and 2017.

In response to these figures the Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Devon and Cornwall has released a Road Safety Strategy which recommends a ‘safe systems’ approach, greater enforcement of the law and improved driver training with the aspiration of creating the safest roads in the UK.

Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez - the national road safety lead for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners – said the police’s work in highlighting road safety issues was in vain without public support for improvement.

“Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are wonderful places to live and work but our safety casualty statistics make for grim reading,” she said.

“We’ve doubled the number of police officers in the roads team and I’m really encouraged by the results for the No Excuse team’s first month. In October they issued 274 tickets, made six arrests, breath tested 136 drivers, seized 52 vehicles and gave words of advice to 91 people.

“But with 12,500 miles of road across the two counties there’s simply no way that police alone can enforce our way out of this problem – it’s up to us, the driving public, to change our behaviour. For every death on our roads a family is torn apart and lives are ruined, yet tragically so many of them occur because of a simple error that might easily have been avoided, people driving while tired, sending a text or going just a few miles an hour too fast.

“With a few simple changes and a collective effort between emergency services, local authorities and driving educators I am positive we can make great strides in making our region a safer place for all road users.”

The road safety strategy has a particular focus on vulnerable road users; cyclists, motorcyclists, rural road users, young drivers, older drivers, pedestrians and business drivers.

There is also a focus on the five highest causes of fatal accidents; inappropriate speed, failing to wear a seatbelt, distractions, driving under the influence of drink or drugs and careless or inconsiderate driving.

The strategy can be viewed at www.devonandcornwall-pcc.gov.uk/information-hub/key-documents/ and look for road safety strategy