RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
February 29, 2000
MORE COMMITMENT NEEDED FOR ROAD TARGETS TO BE HIT
Greater resources and commitment will be needed if the road safety targets being announced by the Government are to be reached, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said today.
Dave Rogers, Road Safety Adviser for RoSPA, said: "Without extra cash being spent on road safety and a lot more political will and co-ordination both at national and local level, we will not reduce deaths and injuries on Britain’s roads.
"The targets for the next 10 years are ambitious and challenging. The strategies may well be the right ones, but it is vital that the resources are allocated to make them work. This is a long-term job which must remain a priority and not be allowed to be diluted as the years go by.
"RoSPA believes the prime focus must be to improve the safety of vulnerable road users like children, pedestrians and cyclists."
More investment was needed to improve the roads and to enable local authorities to reduce the volume and speed of traffic, he said.
At present, local authorities were the best organisations to deal with matters like reducing speed limits, but they needed sufficient resources to enable them to give road safety a higher priority.
Driving standards had to be improved - and the problem of novice drivers tackled as quickly as possible, with more emphasis given to building up driving experience before taking the test.
Moves to address the high accident rate among company car and van drivers - pioneered by RoSPA - were to be welcomed.
"Speed is a major issue and if drivers showed a real will to slow down, it would be one of the biggest steps towards achieving the reduction in accidents which we all want," Dave Rogers said. "If they don’t play their part, then much tougher measures will have to be introduced.
"Road users, police, voluntary groups and national and local government must all work together to reduce the carnage. "
