• Report measures safety levels across 27,000 miles of motorway and A road where majority of UK road deaths occur• Findings of huge economic rewards from low-cost safety engineering• UK’s busiest higher-risk roads are named, along with each region’s highest-risk road• New average speed cameras and interactive speed signs feature strongly on most improved roads• Single carriageways now six times more risky than motorways

Simple attention to safety engineering detail has resulted in extraordinary cuts in road deaths and serious injuries, according to the latest tracking survey* by the Road Safety Foundation. Fatal and serious injury crashes on just 10 stretches of treated road fell by nearly two thirds from 541 to 209 (2001-2005 and 2006-2010) – and a boost to the economy worth £35m every year.

The Prime Minister has set this autumn as the deadline for a radical review of the finance and ownership of the major road network. The Foundation has analysed the safety of Britain’s entire motorway and A road network and is calling on government to make safety central to any reform. It argues in the report that minimum safety levels should be set which make sense to the public, to investors and to new operators of Britain’s major road infrastructure.

For the first time, this year’s report has named Britain’s busy higher-risk roads, with the A21 (A229 to Hastings) topping the league, and two further roads in the south-east in the list. The combination of having risks well above average with many road users exposed to these risks makes them prime candidates for action both in potential to save life and economic cost.

Typically, the “highest risk” and “persistently high risk” roads (tables 3&2) – narrow, twisting, hilly - are in the rural areas of the north. Although apparently clear candidates for priority action, their lower traffic flows may not justify the spend on improvements.

The 10 busy higher-risk roads (table 4) have higher than average traffic flows, a high crash density and an above-average risk rating.

Commenting on this new listing, Dr Joanne Marden, director of the Road Safety Foundation says: “Even a modest ambition to improve these sections of road - so they simply get an ‘average’ risk rating and became six times more risky than motorways - would save many lives and cost savings to the economy of £20m annually.

“The planned reforms in road financing means a new focus on measuring safety performance and the high returns quickly available from safety engineering. Where there is clear evidence of higher risk and heavy traffic flows, the economic case for intervention is compelling. With 2% of GDP lost in road crashes as well as lives, we can get quick, guaranteed returns by raising safety levels.”

For the first time, the study is sponsored by Ageas UK, whose Chief Executive, Barry Smith says: “You cannot manage what you do not measure. As taxpayers, we spend around £10bn each year on roads. Insurers pay out £10bn more to meet the cost of crash claims. We support the Foundation’s annual publication as the key measure of the safety of Britain’s roads, demonstrating both the need for action on high risk roads and the positive results this can have.”

The UK’s most improved roads (table 1)This year’s most improved road is a rural 20km (13 mile) single carriageway section of the A605 in Cambridgeshire, from just outside Peterborough, through Whittlesey and out to the busy junction of the A141. Speeds through villages are 30 or 40mph, with the rest of the route at 60mph.

Over the two survey periods, fatal and serious crashes fell by 74% from 34 to 9, and its risk rating improved from medium in 2001-2005 to low-medium in 2006-2010.

In the first survey period (2001-2005) crashes at junctions, involving vulnerable road users and vehicles running off the road were prominent, each accounting for 30% of the total. Between 2006-2010 these proportions fell to 11% for each category.

Collisions were concentrated near the lower-speed limit areas, so visual clues of built up areas – such as village gateways and “dragon’s teeth” road markings – now warn drivers of hazards ahead, and speed cameras, combined with this traffic calming, contributed to the improvements.

The most significant improvement along the whole route is a 9km section betweenWhittlesey and Coates, with a 74% drop in the number of fatal and serious crashes over time, from 23 to 6, represents a saving of £1.4m per year.

The overall two-thirds drop in fatal and serious crashes on the top ten most improved roads from 541 to 209 represents a saving of £35million a year – or £120,000 per kilometre.

The use of speed enforcement with fixed and mobile cameras is on all but two of the most improved roads. Changes to the layout and traffic management at junctions are common features, and other measures include new traffic signals to control traffic flow; restricting turning movements onto roads with high traffic levels or poor visibility; widening entry and exit lanes with changes to the lining and signing; advanced warning signs; and installing high friction and coloured surfacing.

“These are practical, relatively inexpensive solutions which will pay back the costs of investment in a matter of weeks – with high rates of return in the first year alone – and go on saving lives and saving money for the nation for many years to come. Much of this remedial work can be done as part of routine maintenance,” says Dr Marden.

“Other leading countries are investing to upgrade safety on major roads. Dutch Ministers have announced a minimum 3-star safety rating for their national network by 2020 following an assessment of costs, benefits and practicality. The British public should not be driving 5-star cars on 1- and 2-star roads. The government must make minimum safety levels the centrepiece of any reform.”

AROUND THE UK** The average risk rating has fallen in all regions, at 31 fatal and serious crashes per billion vehicle kilometres travelled. Higher than average risk was seen in Scotland, Yorkshire & the Humber, East Midlands, Wales and East of England; while lower than average risk was evident in the South-East, North-West, South-West, North-East and the West Midlands.

South East• Despite accounting for just 13% of the total road network by length, 1 in 5 fatal and serious crashes on motorways and A roads occurred in the South-East• The South-East carried over one-fifth of traffic using the British motorway and A road network, significantly more than the remaining regions• The region’s highest-risk road is the A269 between the A271 and Bexhill, and it has three of the 10 busiest high-risk roads: A21; A271 and A264

South West• The highest-risk road here is the A371 between Wincanton and Shepton Mallet• Most improved road in the region is the A435, Cheltenham to the A46, where measures include widening, signing and lining at junctions, interactive signs, resurfacing, traffic calming, speed limit changes, and toucan crossing

East of England• While average risk rating has fallen across the UK, this is most pronounced in the East of England, which has seen a 30% drop in the five years 2006-2010 compared to 2001-2005. In this region the number of fatal and serious crashes has fallen by 28%. The greatest improvement in this region has come from single carriageways• Highest-risk: A4012 near Leighton Buzzard• The region has the UK’s most improved road – the A605, as well as further roads in the top ten “most improved”: the A120 Puckeridge to Braintree; and A1066 Thetford to Diss• The A113 Chigwell to Chipping Ongar is the region’s busiest higher-risk road

Yorkshire and the Humber• The region’s highest-risk road is the A1077 Immingham/Barton-on-Humber• Another section of the A1077 between M181 and Barton-upon-Humber features as one of the busiest high-risk roads• A further three busy high-risk roads are highlighted: the A642 Wakefield to Huddersfield, the A646 Burnley to Halifax and the A65 Long Preston to M6 J36• It has higher than average risk roads, including the A169 Pickering to Whitby, which is one of the top 10 high risk roads where motorcycle crashes are included

North East• Just 3% of crashes occurred in the North-East, the region with the shortest network length overall. Traffic flow is lowest in the North-East carrying 3%. • The region’s highest-risk road is the A1086 between Hartlepool and Easlington

North West• This region has the UK’s most-persistent, highest-risk road section – nearly 12km of the A537 Macclesfield to Buxton, scene of 53 fatal and serious crashes between 2006-2010• On this section motorcyclists make up just 1% of traffic, but 70% of all crashes• resulting in death or serious injury• Two busy high-risk roads are highlighted: the A65 Long Preston to the M6; and the A646 Burnley to Halifax

East Midlands • Three of the 10 most improved roads are in the East Midlands: A52 Nottingham ring road to Bingham; A612 Nottingham to Newark: A52 Boston to Skegness• The highest-risk road in the region is the A5012 Pikehall to Matlock

West Midlands• Motorways and A roads in the West Midlands have traditionally been some of the lowest risk in the country. More than half of all travel is on lower-risk motorways or dual carriageways; the safety of single-carriageway roads is well above average. • The highest risk road in the region is the A451 Kidderminster to Stourbridge

Wales• The UK’s second-lowest traffic flow is in Wales, carrying just 6%• Wales’ highest-risk road is the A4076 from Haverfordwest to Milford Haven

Scotland• Scotland accounted for the greatest proportion of the motorway and A roadnetwork surveyed• Covering one-quarter of the total length (9,929km), this is equivalent to the South-East and South-West combined• Despite the overall size of the network, just 12% of all fatal and serious crashes occurred in Scotland• The vast majority of this network (87%) is single carriageway. • Highest-risk road in Scotland is the A809 between Milngavie and Croftamie

Some key facts:• 70 people are killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads every day• Fatal and serious crashes on Britain’s roads have reduced by 36% over the last decade• 4 in10 fatal and serious crashes occur on rural roads• The risk of death and serious injury on Britain’s motorways and A roads is highest in Scotland and lowest in West Midlands• 1% of the network surveyed rated as high risk; 5 % medium-high; 21% medium; 56% low-medium; 16% low• One in five km travelled on Britain’s motorways and A roads is in the South-East• Average risk on Britain’s motorways and A roads has fallen by 25% in the last five years• Motorcyclists account for just 1% of traffic but 18% of all fatal crashes• £15.6bn is lost annually in crashes on Britain’s roads

: **Regional summaries are also available on this link, along with a breakdown of road risk nationally and by parliamentary constituency. The Foundation is unable to provide more detailed regional breakdowns than in the report.

Dr Joanne Marden will be available for embargoed interviews Friday 12 to Monday 15 October – please contact the numbers below.

About Risk Mapping:In countries where detailed crash and traffic data are available, EuroRAP risk maps give an objective view of where people are being killed or seriously injured on a road network and where their crash risk is greatest. By showing the number of fatal and serious crashes per kilometre travelled the results demonstrate the risk arising from the interaction of road users, vehicles and the road environment.

The emphasis of Risk Mapping is on identifying high risk routes rather than ‘blackspots’ or ‘cluster sites’. The costs of proactively treating known areas of high risks by upgrading the safety detailing along a length of road are often far lower than piecemeal changeonce a crash has occurred. Risk maps help to create awareness and understanding of road safety risk as users move around a network. They are being increasingly adopted by road authorities and Governments across Europe as a way of prioritising network improvements and leveraging the funds required to take action.

The Risk Mapping shown in this year’s report uses the most up-to-date crash and traffic data available. Crashdata are from the national road injury and accidents (STATS19) database provided by the Department forTransport (DfT), and include all crashes resulting in fatal or serious injuries during the data periods 2001-2005and 2006-2010 inclusive. Traffic flows are from the DfT database based on automatic and manual vehiclecounts, the latter carried out at three-yearly intervals. Values used for individual road sections are theaverage for the data periods 2001-2005 and 2006-2010 (inclusive) weighted by section length.

About the Road Safety FoundationThe Road Safety Foundation is a UK charity advocating road casualty reduction through simultaneous action on all three components of the safe road system: roads, vehicles and behaviour. Several of its published reports have provided the basis of new legislation or government policy. For more information visit http://www.roadsafetyfoundation.org.

About Ageas UKAgeas UK is a leading provider of award-winning Personal, Commercial and Protection insurance solutions in the UK. Ageas UK distributes both its Non-Life and Life products through a range of channels including brokers, IFAs, intermediaries, affinity partners and the Internet, as well as through its retail strategy via its wholly or partially-owned companies (Ageas Insurance Solutions, Castle Cover, Kwik Fit Financial Services, RIAS and Tesco Underwriting).

Insuring around eight million customers and working with a range of partners, Ageas is recognised for delivering consistent and high-quality customer experiences. It employs over 5,400 people with a head office based in Eastleigh and others based in Belfast, Bournemouth, Glasgow, Gloucester, London, Reigate and Stoke-on-Trent.http://www.ageas.co.uk

Speed cameras and traffic management schemes have drastically cut serious accidents on 10 previously dangerous stretches of road, according to a survey.

Fatal and serious crashes on the 10 most improved routes have dipped from 541 in the period 2001-2005 to 209 in 2006-2010, the study showed.

This represents a saving of #35 million a year, the figures from the Road Safety Foundation (RSF), sponsored by insurance company Ageas, found.

The most improved road is a 13-mile (21km) single carriageway section of the A605 in Cambridgeshire from just outside Peterborough, through Whittlesey and out to the busy junction with the A141.

Over the two survey periods, fatal and serious crashes fell from 34 to just nine.

Speed enforcement with fixed and mobile cameras is in use on all but two of the 10 most improved roads.

Changes to the layout and traffic management at junctions are common features, and other measures include new traffic signals to control traffic flow; restricting turning movements on to roads with high traffic levels or poor visibility; widening entry and exit lanes with changes to lining and signing; advanced warning signs; and installing high friction and coloured surfacing.

Other roads in the most-improved list included a stretch of the A435 near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, a section of the A120 from Puckeridge in Hertfordshire to Braintree in Essex, and part of the A52 from Nottingham to Bingham.

The survey also revealed not just the roads with the worst safety record but, for the first time, also listed the busy higher-risk roads.

Topping this list was a section of the A21 near Hastings. Other roads on this list included part of the A642 from Wakefield to Huddersfield in Yorkshire, and a section of A1101 from Outwell in Norfolk to Long Sutton in Lincolnshire.

These busy higher-risk roads have higher-than-average traffic flows, a high crash density and an above-average risk rating.

Britain's persistently highest-risk road is a stretch of the A537 from Macclesfield in Cheshire to Buxton in Derbyshire.

Overall, the survey showed that the average risk rating has fallen in all regions and is now 31 fatal and serious crashes per billion vehicle kilometres travelled.

Higher-than-average risk was seen in Scotland, Yorkshire & the Humber, East Midlands, Wales and East of England, while lower-than-average risk was evident in England's South East, North West, South West and North East areas and in the West Midlands.

Commenting on the busy higher-risk roads, RSF director Joanne Marden said: "Even a modest ambition to improve these sections of road - so they simply get an 'average' risk rating and became six times more risky than motorways - would save many lives and cost savings to the economy of #20 million annually.

"The planned reforms in road financing means a new focus on measuring safety performance and the high returns quickly available from safety engineering. Where there is clear evidence of higher risk and heavy traffic flows, the economic case for intervention is compelling. With 2% of GDP lost in road crashes as well as lives, we can get quick, guaranteed returns by raising safety levels."

On the measures used on the most-improved roads, Dr Marden said: "These are practical, relatively inexpensive solutions which will pay back the costs of investment in a matter of weeks and go on saving lives and saving money for the nation for many years to come. Much of this remedial work can be done as part of routine maintenance."

end

Clearly speed cameras cannot possibly be attributed with any benefit - the engineering will have provided much improvements to the problems encountered. To even hint that a speed camera has a benefit is highly ignorant as there is no basis for it.

Comments sent by Al Gullon, a Canadian who has been conducting independent research in traffic safety for the past 16 years, with nine technical papers and 64,000kms of roadway observations in Europe, including the UK, Sweden and Finland.

The choice of comparison periods by the Road Safety Foundation was very unfortunate. My 16 years of traffic safety research have shown a strong correlation between the traffic fatality rate (scientifically measured as fatalities per traffic volume) and the boom/bust cycles in the economy … in 17 countries representing every inhabited continent. This is explained by increased distraction by happy thoughts in the booms (delirium economicum) and extra caution in the busts (trepidatio economica). Their choice of 2006 to 2010 for the recent data includes the 2007 to 2010 period of the current global economic ‘bust’ which has dramatically confirmed my research.

In those years every industrialized country in the world experienced the same huge reductions in road fatalities which the RSF researchers have noted on UK roadways. They have thus blundered into the same error as public officials, in every country, by attributing the observed reduction to roadway improvements and speed cameras.

I reported that grievous error (which, if not corrected, will be tragic for traffic safety) in my 2010 FISITA Budapest paper (F2010-E-064) as follows:

As the current global recession became ever deeper, safety officials in many countries have announced, nearly a full year before the data normally becomes publicly available, large decreases in traffic fatalities while crediting their continuing safety efforts with this welcome development. Those of whom the author has specific knowledge include China, the USA and no less than three Canadian provinces. With limited space we will quote only from a press release issued by the International Transport Forum on July 22, 2009: “ … road fatalities in most countries … show a large reduction in 2008 … . (some) countries recorded further sharp decreases in road fatalities in the first quarter of 2009. This reflects both improved road safety interventions in many countries and … depressed traffic volumes in some countries. (data analysis is not yet complete and it is therefore) too soon to draw firm conclusions on the effectiveness of recent legislative changes and more focused enforcement strategies that have targeted high-risk driving behaviour in some countries.

…

“And Santayana’s “… remember history …” says that the fatality rate, in every country, is going to rise back to 2007 levels within the next 18 months as economies recover from the recession.” UNQUOTE

Of direct interest to Peter Woodman, the Press Association Transport Correspondent, is my press release on that FISITA Budapest paper which began with:

A PRESS RELEASE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO … THE PRESS!*

(*i.e. ‘the FOURTH ESTATE’ in their duty to ‘hold the government to account’

Road Safety: A Tragic Mistake Which ‘the Press’ Must Ensure is NOT RepeatedThose who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana…and which continued that appeal to the ‘Fourth Estate’ later in the text with:

QUOTE And Santayana’s “… remember history …” says that the fatality rate, in every country, is going to rise back to near-2007 levels within the next 12-18 months as economies recover from the recession.

In conclusion Al emphasized, “Note that, because they control the timing of the release of traffic safety data, ‘public authorities’ can save face by delaying the bad news until the public has forgotten the original, self-congratulatory, press releases. Upon pain of seeing their children being “condemned to repeat” the Tragedy of ‘73/’74, I encourage the members of ‘the Fourth Estate’ to prevent that ‘strategic delay’ from happening in their country.” UNQUOTE

There's two prize examples of the "Road safety experts" automated thinking close to me .1) -A45 ---(and there's a bit on ABD about WHY are cameras still there). Reason ( excuse possibly better) was that there had been a lot of accidents on this road ,between the old Puegot plant and the start of the M45. Reason was one road junction, (think it was the road from Wolston ), to the A445. At this point A45 was NSL. a445 was good way of avoiding the A46/A45 island to get to Leamington( the island was known localy as "kamikazi island").Limits & cameras didn't seem to do any good. Step 1- signal the A45/46 island. That got rid of some. Then the junction with the A445 was changed to a roundabout. That made a very dodgy( almost brown pants at 8-9 AM) crossing, A PLEASURE. 2)-And after all the hot air on how things could be done. Attempts to make a DC look like SC, two cameras, and four limit changes later - not my favourite junction.Plenty of talk about putting in an island, but there's more chance of a park for "mobile homes" ,IMHO, than this happening in the near future.

_________________lets bring sanity back to speed limits.Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Edit to my last post 2) was about the A5 ,Redgate junction. Now there's talk of yet another danger junction close by . http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/News/Kil ... 072012.htm Seems that the purge on the speed limits ( it's now on this stretch hasn't done much good. Plenty of proposals of islands and GSJ , but the accidents still keep on happening .

_________________lets bring sanity back to speed limits.Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Making several changes at the same time is the fatal flaw, so now we don't know which is really making the difference. But the cynic in me makes me think that is deliberate.

WE had a NSL road near us that had a few accidents on it. The majority were people turning right just before the brow of a hill, a lot were skidding on the islands, where road surface was poor when wet.

Most people with a brain would prevent right turns at that junction and resurface the road at the islands.

our local highways muppet team dropped the limit to 40MPH and prevented right turns. No doubt the accident rate has dropped considerably but what will get the praise for the reduction, do you think???...answers on a stamp please.

_________________My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

our local highways muppet team dropped the limit to 40MPH and prevented right turns. No doubt the accident rate has dropped considerably but what will get the praise for the reduction, do you think???...answers on a stamp please.

( no camera).

We've got one locally ( for ed, it's the Cock & bear bridge, with the right turn from Tomkinson), with a hump back canal bridge just before a T junction ,with another T a short distance to the right. Turning right, it's impossible to see any traffic coming from left ,till it hits the brow. Limit is , but I've turned right with nothing visible and had to get up to almost to prevent a rear ender . Two possible cures - 1) Speed hump, but a lot of heavies use this road, and a bump woul possibly cause problems. 2) Camera, but would it distract attention from two sets of T junctions and make the junction more dangerous. I take another route- turn left to nearby mini island ,go round 360 and then straight back up .

Driver eye view

Aerial view

_________________lets bring sanity back to speed limits.Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

_________________My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

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