The effectiveness of roads policing and traffic enforcement is to come under scrutiny in a two-year review aimed at improving road safety.
The news of the review, which the government says is the first of its kind, comes after a report by Ageas and the Road Safety Foundation highlighted the need for major improvements in the safety of British roads.
On average, 73 people were killed or seriously injured every day on Britain’s roads in 2017, and there has been little improvement in reducing the number of road deaths since 2011.
According to the Department for Transport, the policing review could lead to new initiatives to reduce road casualties being trialled as early as next year.
Road safety minister Michael Ellis said: “Roads policing is a key deterrent in stopping drivers breaking the law and risking their and other people’s lives. This review will not only highlight where police forces are doing good work, it will show what more can be done to improve road safety.”
More needs to be done
Improving policing and traffic enforcement aren’t the only two ingredients for safer roads.
Investment is needed to improve the roads themselves. Some roads are much more dangerous than others. In fact, nearly two-thirds (60%) of all road deaths occur on just one-eighth (12.5%) of the road network.
While the government is investing in upgrading some of Britain’s most dangerous roads, more money is needed. Over the next two decades, 10,300 fatal and serious accidents could be prevented if £117 million is immediately committed to improve persistently high-risk roads, followed by an annual investment of £83 million over the next five years.
Also, as the report from Ageas and the Road Safety Foundation suggests, this investment needs to be supplemented by new safety goals, so that by 2030, England’s major road network is made safe.
Lives can be saved with simple, cost-effective measures to improve Britain’s most dangerous roads.
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