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Only a week after the Department for Transport announced a campaign to tackle the serious issue of driver fatigue, the Highways Agency has revealed a year-long plan to create a more sustainable, reliable and safer strategic road network.
Only a week after the Department for Transport announced a campaign to tackle the serious issue of driver fatigue, the Highways Agency has revealed a year-long plan to create a more sustainable, reliable and safer strategic road network.
Can this be a sign that the departments responsible for our transport infrastructure are starting to tackle important issues in partnership? I truly hope so.
While the DfT is absolutely right to dedicate funds and resources to combat fatalities resulting from tired drivers, reducing the number of roads deaths can only be achieved effectively if the road network supports safe driving. The two issues are part of the same solution.
Central to the DfT's campaign was the message to business drivers that they should take a break from driving every two hours. This sentiment is admirable, but in practise, heavy traffic and the delays it causes often leads to drivers making inadvisable decisions, particularly if they are in a rush to get home or reach a meeting. It's not difficult to imagine a scenario in which a motorist delayed by congestion will continue driving well beyond the two hour mark to reach an appointment. This driver then becomes more likely to push the limits when it comes to safe driving.
As road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick aptly put it when the campaign was launched: "We all want to finish our journeys as quickly as possible but being tired at the wheel is a proven killer that we cannot ignore."
All very well, but what we need is a roads infrastructure that can help us complete journeys in the time frame we planned, without significant delays.
And it seems that this might just be on the way. The Highways Agencys 2008-09 business plan, launched at the start of the financial year, shows that it will extend hard-shoulder running on motorways around Birmingham, and carry out major improvements where they are most needed. In 2008-09 it will complete 15 major road schemes - including the M1 J6a to J10 widening scheme. It also plans to award the 30-year private finance contract - in excess of £5 billion - to design, build, finance and operate more than 63 miles of the M25.
And while this is probably not a panacea to all the UK's congestion ills, it's certainly a good start.
What it does do is send out a message that the Government is serious in addressing road fatalities as part of a cohesive plan, rather than treat issues in isolation. As with any major problem, dealing with individual issues in isolation will never provide a sustainable solution.
So while there will always be cynics who don't listen to Government advice and are prepared to pour water on initiatives, when it comes to these latest announcements I for one think there a lot of positives.
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