Austerity is putting lives at risk: PACTS

12.00 | 11 May 2012 | | 3 comments

Robert Gifford, executive director of PACTS, says the Government’s focus on austerity is putting lives at risk, and that there is a ‘lack of confidence’ in its Strategic Framework for Road Safety.

Mr Gifford’s comments accompany the launch of a new PACTS report published today (11 May). The report is the third in the PACTS’ series ‘Tackling the Deficit’, which examines the impact of the Government’s austerity programme on road safety.

This report, ‘Checking the Health of Road Safety’, includes an analysis of policy proposals during the last year and the results of a survey undertaken jointly with ADEPT (the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transportation) and TAG (the Local Authorities Technical Advisors Group).

Compared to this time last year, 65% of local authorities have seen reductions in the budget allocated to road safety engineering, with a reduction in output of 60%.

More than 62% saw a reduction in staffing between 2010/11 and 2011/12, and more than a third have seen these reductions continue in the current year. 50% of councils say that budget reductions have put their statutory duty to promote road safety at risk.

When asked about the impact of the current Strategic Framework, 44% thought it had had no effect on road safety, with 39% believing that the impact had been negative.

Commenting on the findings, Robert Gifford, executive director of PACTS, said: “This report has a clear message to Government: the focus on austerity is putting lives at risk.

“The years 2007-2010 saw substantial falls in road deaths reflecting falls in both traffic and Gross Domestic Product. However, deaths rose in the first six months of 2011 and flat lined in the third quarter. This suggests, as the European Commission concluded earlier this year, that road deaths will rise in Great Britain in 2011 for the first time since 2003.

“This rise is especially worrying as the country is still in recession. Historically, deaths rise as economic output increases, not as it falls. The Government should be deeply concerned by this change in course.

“Ministers should also be worried by the apparent lack of confidence in the much vaunted framework document published last year. This has clearly failed to gain professional support.

“PACTS believes that we need a new national debate about the future of road safety, based on the principles that road deaths are preventable and that, where measures are both cost-effective and achievable, society has a moral and economic responsibility to act for the public benefit.”

Click here to read the full report.

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    The car thief losing control of the stolen vehicle killing him/herself whilst in the commission of committing a criminal act, is self inflicted. If the car thief crashes into another vehicle, it is still the fault of the car thief. If a house owner kills a burglar, would anyone want the house owner to be prosecuted for murder or manslaughter – I think not, as the burglar was in the act of committing a crime.

    If a driver falls asleep and crashes into another vehicle and kills him/herself – it is self inflicted. If the sleeping driver crashes into another vehicle and kills the occupants then it is either murder or manslaughter.

    If a motorist is in the commission of committing one or more criminal motoring offences and in so doing kills another road user, then it should be classed as murder or manslaughter in line with other killings, and the bereaved should receive the same consideration as that of the bereaved of other killings.


    Judith – Norfolk
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    If the driver of a stolen car loses control and dies, who was the murderer? If a driver falls asleep on the motorway and dies in a collision, is that murder or manslaughter?

    What about the lady on motorway cops (BBC 1) who accidentally killed a cyclist who was drunk and riding at night with no lights wearing dark clothing on an unlit dual carriageway?

    Road safety, like many areas of safety engineering, is a lot more complex.


    Dave Finney – Slough
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    “PACTS believe that we need a new national debate about the future of road safety, based on the principles that road deaths are preventable and that, where measures are both cost-effective and achievable, society has a moral and economic responsibility to act for the public benefit.”

    If it is the duty of any responsible Government to protect the lives of its citizens – what is there to debate?…

    Ask ACPO for their operational definition of a road death:

    “A sudden and violent death no different to murder or manslaughter”.

    If thousands of citizens were routinely killed in murders or manslaughters year on year there would rightly be public outcry and resources would be found to stop the deaths! Do the families of those who die on the roads suffer any less grief, sorrow and life-long agony compared to those families who suffer a murder or a manslaughter?

    Why is this Government cutting investment into road safety, starving road safety practitioners of vital resources and pandering to a motoring lobby who think there is a ‘war on the motorist’?


    Susan, Northamptonshire
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