PACTS publishes road safety review

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) has published an independent analysis of progress towards the 2010 road casualty reduction targets.

PACTS has analysed overall trends in casualty reduction and the different trends for road user groups, behaviours and locations. It has also looked at geographical groupings for casualty reduction in an attempt to assess regional variation within the national trends.
 
Key findings in the report include:
 
• The adoption of a road safety strategy and targets in 2000 provided a focus for road safety activity and brought together new partnerships;
• Although KSI figures were down by 40% in 2008 compared with the 1994/98 baseline, different casualty reduction profiles can be observed in relation to user groups;
• Men aged between 20 and 40 years are six times more likely to die on the roads than women;
• Although there has been a 50% reduction in child KSIs up to the age of 16, the data shows a need to extend the focus to young people up to 25;
• Frailty among older road users remains high and a co-ordinated approach for this age group will be important as the population ages.

Robert Gifford, executive director of PACTS, said: “As we think about the next road safety vision and strategy beyond 2010, we need to know what has worked and what challenges remain. This report is our attempt to help that process.
 
“It is clear in the metropolitan county areas and in London that deprivation and road casualties are linked. This relationship should be re-appraised as part of the next road safety strategy.
 
“Beyond 2010, we will need to focus far more on effective delivery of road safety, making better use of the data and resources we have at our disposal.

“Understanding regional similarities and differences will be part of that effectiveness as will the adoption of a systems based approach to road safety.”

Click here to download a copy of the report or contact Robert Gifford for more information on 020 7222 7732.

Footnote: The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) is a registered charity and an associate Parliamentary Group. Its charitable objective is ‘to protect human life through the promotion of transport safety for the public benefit’.