Review to consider ‘various options to make roads safer’
County council working group seeks better network for all
A countywide review will look at various options to make roads safer for all users.
Joy Dennis, West Sussex County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, has asked her advisor on road safety, former traffic police officer Tom Richardson, to lead a crossparty group of fellow county councillors in the review.
She described how road safety was one of the main reasons both she and Mr Richardson wanted to become county councillors.
She added: “It felt like a minority of drivers, be it a car, van or lorry, seemed to think the roads were there ‘just for them’: they were treating the network as a space only for motor vehicles, without due regard for others like motorcyclists, pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.
“My vision is for roads to be safer for all.
“I’m certainly not antimotorised vehicles – I have a car and enjoy driving – but motorised traffic is the most frequently used mode of transport and can present the greatest danger to those using more vulnerable forms.
“It isn’t just about speed, which can sometimes be a question of perception: it is a minority of drivers and their lack of due care and consideration for other road users.
“A lot is about education and reaching out to inexperienced drivers.
“The road is as safe as your driving, which includes being within the speed limit and driving according to the prevailing weather conditions.”
The task and finish group will review the county’s road safety framework, including:
• Reviewing speed limit policy, to make it easier to introduce a lower speed limit, where appropriate
• Exploring other traffic management measures that could help reduce seriousinjury accidents
• Considering other highway-related issues that may contribute to road traffic collisions.
Mr Richardson said: “The important thing to emphasise is that the task and finish group’s work won’t solely be about speed limits – it’s also about how people use the roads.
“Driver education will be a big part of this, as will looking at various options to make things safer for all road users.”
The TFG is expected to conclude the review of speed limit policy in the summer.
Back in December, county councillors discussed the issue with calls for residents to have more of a say about the speeds allowed on roads in their areas, with complaints about the current process to make changes being ‘bureaucratic, slow and inflexible’. The national speed limit was also described as ‘inappropriate’ for many of the county’s rural roads.
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