Rethink 'speed kills'

A new Department of Transport report, Tomorrow's Roads - Safer For Everyone: The First Three Year Review, claims: "We are particularly concerned that the number of fatalities on our roads each year has not continued to fall since 1998". That is about the time 'speed kills' became the cornerstone of the UK's road safety policy.

UK road fatalities have been the poorest performing of all in Europe (excluding those countries for which data is unavailable) in recent years.

The following figures show road deaths in 2002 as a percentage of the 1994-98 average:

UK (96.1 per cent); Sweden (96.0); Finland (95.9); Spain (94.1); Luxembourg (92.5); Denmark (88.5); France (87.4); Austria (84.7); Ireland (84.5); Netherlands (81.7); Germany (77.1) and Portugal (64.7).

Additionally, based on data from 19 of the 43 British police areas, 2003 road deaths are up around five per cent on the previous 12 months.

It would seem to suggest that modern road safety policy, based on 'speed kills' (and its resultant speed humps, chicanes, speed cameras, unnecessarily low speed limits etc), is doing far more harm than good.

There must be a radical rethink of policies if we are to see a return to the UK having the safest roads in Europe.

This current policy is distracting local authorities from implementing proper engineering improvements. It is distracting the police from their job of policing all road traffic laws, and it is failing to take on board the requirement for 'through life training', something the airline and rail industries enjoy to their collective benefits. Experienced drivers know that speed reduction measures will not by themselves bring about the reduction in road deaths we all yearn for.

R McBroom,

Westpit Lane,

York.

... Andy Scaife's letter (April 8) demonstrates the narrow minded view that some of our cyclists have.

He seems to forget that for years Liz Edge put forward the views of her ward whether she agreed with them or not.

Now as a private citizen she can express her own views armed with facts and figures gained over a number of years.

The bendy buses do cause congestion which leads to pollution. On Mr Scaife's trips from The Mount to Monkgate has he never come across a bendy bus in Blossom Street straddling two lanes to negotiate the corner into Queen Street so that when the filter arrow is in operation nothing moves? Congestion leads to pollution.

As to Mr Scaife's comparison to his journey of ten minutes by bike and 40 minutes by car, he forgets to mention that they take different routes: the car has to go via St Leonard's and Lord Mayor's Walk while Mr Scaife goes via Duncombe Place and the Minster.

Also, if he does it in ten minutes, every traffic light must be at green, or does he ignore the red and ride through or on the pavement like a lot of others?

AP Cox,

Heath Close,

Holgate, York.

...I HAD to smile at Liz Edge's comment that millions of pounds have been spent on cycle tracks, for a "minority" interest (Letters, April 8).

A local transport professional once said that if a magic wand was waved over York in the morning or evening peak, which transformed all the bicycles being ridden into cars, then York would immediately become gridlocked.

So are we cyclists part of the problem, or part of the solution?

All local authorities are required by Whitehall to submit a five-year Local Transport Plan (LTP). The Government issues guidance on the kind of transport projects which should be included.

These generally include measures to encourage pedal power, in accordance with the National Cycling Strategy.

The current LTP cycle (no pun intended) ends in 2005. York has just begun public consultation on its 2006-2010 plan, with a conference of more than 60 of the city's transport stakeholder groups.

Liz was welcome to attend this initial forum, and may still attend the planned follow-on meetings, to add her contributions.

Each council's LTP is scrutinised by the Government, who will grant aid those measures which accord with Whitehall's guidelines. On this basis, York received more than £750,000 towards cycle routes during 2000-2005.

More funding came via developers, who were required to incorporate cycle facilities into their projects.

Very little money came from York's own council tax revenue.

The national spend on cycle routes is sadly a fraction of that spent on motorways and trunk roads. But never mind. When the oil runs out, our descendants will be able to pedal along the M62!

Paul Hepworth,

Windmill Rise,

Holgate, York.

Updated: 09:36 Monday, April 12, 2004