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National Travel Survey: Road Safety Impact
The National Travel Survey published recently by Department for Transport shows a 16% fall in pedestrian activity since 1995/1997. Over the same time period pedestrian fatalities have fallen by 33% (from 1995-7 average = 1003 to 2005 = 671).
This indicates that half (16%/33%) of the road safety benefit that DfT have been claiming for their policies is simply because pedestrians have not been around as much exposed to road risks.
Over the same period, road deaths affecting all users other than pedestrians have fallen by only 2.8% (from 1995-7 average = 2,603 to 2005 = 2,530).
Paul Smith, of the Safe Speed road safety campaign (http://www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "The national travel survey indicates that half of the road safety benefit delivered by Department for Transport (DfT) over 10 years is simply down to people choosing to walk less. DfT policies are in crisis.
Nothing they do works, and it isn't surprising because they are no longer fit for purpose and they are institutionally unable to understand the process of safe driving."
"I'm forced to wonder what proportion of the reduction in pedestrian activity is because speed cameras have sent the false message to pedestrians that the road side is simply too dangerous."
"What have we got to do to get road safety policies that concentrate on skills, attitudes and responsibilities?
They are the only policies that can work.
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