
The South West Peninsula Road Safety Partnership has set out the ‘bold’ ambition to achieve a highway system free of fatalities and serious injuries by 2040.
Launching the Vision Zero approach on 18 September, the partnership acknowledged ‘radical change’ is required to reduce and eliminate casualties.
Efforts will focus on encouraging better driving practices, educating specific road user groups about the potential dangers and developing better responses to road traffic collisions.
An interim target to reduce by 50% the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in the next decade has also been set.
Alison Hernandez, police and crime commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and chair of the road safety partnership, said: “Between 2009 and 2018, 534 people died and 6,272 were seriously injured on the roads in Devon and Cornwall.
“The trauma, loss and devastation that these numbers illustrate cannot be overstated. We believe no one should be killed or seriously injured as a consequence of using our roads and we have a moral duty to work together to preserve life, prevent harm and make our communities safer.
“We recognise that radical change is required to make this happen. This requires agencies to work alongside communities to find sustainable solutions.
“The way to progress is to renew efforts which encourage better driving practices, educate specific road user groups about the potential dangers, develop better responses to road traffic collisions and, critically, engage the public in being part of the solution.”
The South West Peninsula Road Safety Partnership comprises 19 members, including emergency services, local authorities, NHS trusts and charities.
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