The Future of Roads Minister has pledged to publish the first national road safety strategy in more than a decade, saying safer roads underpin each of the government’s guiding missions.
Speaking at a Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death) event in Parliament, Lilian Greenwood (pictured) said the strategy will deliver “long awaited direction and vision”.
She told the audience, made up of campaigners, police, politicians and industry road safety leaders such as Jenoptik and Westcotec: “It will end that outdated thinking of responsibility only sitting with drivers instead ensuring that it’s shared amongst policy makers, those who enforce our laws, those who design our roads and those who use them. This strategy will be shaped by partners across the sector, guided by your experience, your expertise and your enthusiasm at every stage.”
Ms Greenwood added that “There’s plenty of work already underway across my department to make that happen, and I know that our new Secretary of State is committed to maintaining the momentum. But I’m sure we can all agree that there is a long way to go, more than four people lose their lives on our roads every single day – it’s a sobering statistic.”
That was echoed by National Lead for Roads Policing, Commander Kyle Gordon, who reminded everyone that during Christmas celebrations: “There’ll be tables in this country that will have an empty seat around them because we’re still not doing enough.” He added that: “As a cop with 30 years under my belt and having been at the scene of more of these than would like to have been, I have to tell you, the vast majority of it is preventable,” and said that in no other area of life would we accept as many lives lost: “Can you imagine if I was the national lead for child sexual exploitation, and that today we expected five kids to die in our portfolio… if I stood in front of you and told you I was a lead for counter terrorism, and today we expected five people to die from terrorism or violence against women and girls or modern slavery? We just wouldn’t accept it.”
Founded in 2016 as an annual event led by Police, Project EDWARD has grown into a year-round programme backed by government, the emergency services, highways agencies, road safety organisations and British businesses. The campaign promotes an evidence-led, ‘safe system’ approach – the long-term objective of which is a road traffic system free from death and serious injury.
Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham, Joy Allen, who is Association of PCCs joint lead on policing and transport gave the statistics that drives the work of the campaign, explaining: “Last year’s operation involved 44 police forces across England and Wales and nearly 50,000 breath tests, almost 10% of these tested positive, failed or refused,” she said. “Nearly 7,000 drug tests were conducted, with nearly 50% of these testing positive, and our police officers, thankfully made thousands of arrests as a result, drivers who put themselves and other road users in danger through alcohol and drugs deserve to pay a high price for their recklessness and selfishness.”
She called for immediate roadside bans, tougher sentences, higher penalties and mandatory drink and drug courses and more of a focus on drug driving to complement anti-drink-drive campaigns.
National Highways’ Director of Road Safety Sheena Hague explained the organisation’s commitment to safety and its plan “Road to Zero Harm” and the event also heard from Ruth Purdie, who’s CEO of the Road Safety Trust and Westcotec CEO Chris Spinks.
Mr Spinks and Ms Purdie both were given Project EDWARD awards, alongside Alan Hiscox of the British Horse Society and Chris Lewis from Warwickshire’s PCC office.
Former Roads Police Officer Mr Spinks commented that Westcotec’s job is to “Try and give road users a more enhanced level of information so that they can make better decisions and hopefully get home safe on that journey to their loved ones,” and added that Project EDWARD is “one of the best casualty reduction schemes there is in the UK and Europe.”
Fellow sponsor John Piper of Jenoptik added: “Jenoptik remain very proud to support the excellent Project Edward initiative, the determination to address and tackle all elements of road safety, of which speed remains a major contributor, aligns completely with the believes and values we follow.”
(Picture – Highways News)
