Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Graham Hurdle's blog: 16 May 2011 - Who knows about the Decade of Action for Road Safety?
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Graham Hurdle's blog: 16 May 2011 - Who knows about the Decade of Action for Road Safety?

Date: 16 May 2011

Graham Hurdle is managing director of E-Training World

This week I was privileged to be invited to the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety in Westminster. It was great to be in a room with fellow road safety professionals, MP's and a few Lords.

There were some excellent presentations from a number of people including the Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, who set out the government's strategic framework for road safety. The minister told the audience:

"The Government believes in localism. We believe that, wherever possible, local authorities should have the freedom to make their own decisions on road safety so they develop solutions that best suit their communities. So this strategic framework provides clarity to local authorities, road safety professionals and other stakeholders on their roles and responsibilities in improving road safety, and sets out the increased freedom that is being given to local authorities in assessing and acting on their own priorities. That includes increasing the road safety information that is available to the public to help them to hold their local authorities and service providers to account.

"Of course, there will always be an important role for central Government to play in road safety. And I believe our approach, where possible, should be based on making it easier for road users to do the right thing - improving education and training instead of resorting to more bureaucracy, targets and regulation.

He added: "But I am also determined to crack down on the antisocial and dangerous driving that still leads to far too many fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. So this strategic framework sets out a wide range of measures to tackle careless and dangerous driving behaviour - from a new fixed penalty notice for careless driving, to tougher action against drink and drug drivers."

As a road safety professional this was music to my ears, although I am not sure who will be issuing those fixed penalty notices for careless driving as it is possible to drive the length and breadth of the country without seeing a single traffic police officer. The other disappointing part of the strategic framework was the lack of targets. How will we know if it has been successful?

Maybe the lack of targets is a sign that the government doesn't believe that any significant reduction in road deaths and casualties can be achieved? Forgive my cynicism but I'd suggest its more likely that they don't want to be measured because it gives a tangible yardstick to show if their measures have worked or not. No targets = no chance of failure!

Finally I was struck by the media coverage. The TV, radio and press all covered the new fixed penalty notices for careless driving, but the strategic framework contains much more than that one single initiative. On 11 May, countries all around the world launched the Decade of Action for Road Safety but who in the UK apart from those involved in road safety would know about it?

The Government is more than capable of making headlines when they choose to and have an incredible PR machine to ensure all important initiatives hit the headlines. But this one wasn't worthy of a promotional push it would seem.

But when these initiatives have no measure, and are launched over a buffet lunch in the confines of a room in Westminster, are we really expecting to see a reduction in the misery of road crashes. Or was this just another way of keeping the road safety community happy without wishing to make it a more public issue?

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