Local democracy

Agenda item

ANNUAL UPDATE ON ROAD SAFETY IN THE KEIGHLEY CONSTITUENCY

The report of the Strategic Director, Place, (Document “C”) provides an update on current casualty levels and trends in the Keighley Constituency and on the Road Safety Education, Training and Publicity Initiatives aimed at reducing those casualties.

 

Recommended –

 

1.    That the information in respect of casualty trends and road safety activities, contained in Document “C” be noted.

 

2.    That the evidence based approach to determine road safety priorities continue to be supported.

 

(Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

(Sue Snoddy - 01274 437409)

 

 

Minutes:

The report of the Strategic Director, Place, (Document “C”) provided an update on current casualty levels and trends in the Keighley Constituency and on the Road Safety Education, Training and Publicity Initiatives aimed at reducing those casualties.  Appended to Document “C” were statistics on road casualties in the Bradford district and in the Keighley area.  Road safety education training and publicity programmes were also reported together with engagement undertaken with schools in the district.

 

It was confirmed that the data reported was the most recent full year information for 2017 and this confirmed that the downward trend of accidents was continuing to be maintained.

 

Members raised a number of issues to which the following responses were provided:-

 

·         The Road Safety Education, Training and Publicity team comprised of 5.79 full time equivalent posts including the Bikeability Officer.  The team had operated, during the period covering in the report, with five full time equivalent posts as one team member had been on maternity leave.

 

·         A three staged approach was taken to address excessive speeding.  Publicity; enforcement by the police and engineering solutions to physically reduce speeds were utilised. 

 

·         Members requests to monitor traffic were used, together with the police data base, to collate traffic data.   Manual traffic counts were conducted over a 24 hour period for one week.

 

·         Injuries categorised as ‘serious’ involved people who were injured or taken to hospital.

 

·         The accidents included in Document “C” were those which had been attended by the police and related to injury to a person not vehicle damage.

 

·         Operation Steerside, an initiative to tackle dangerous driving, had been extremely successful and had undertaken 13,000 interactions in a 12 month period.  It had taken uninsured vehicles off the road and targeted illegal vehicle activity and other crimes. The initiative was having a positive effect on statistics included in the report under consideration.  The funding for the scheme had only three months remaining, however, the police were reviewing what could be done to continue beyond that time.

 

·         It was acknowledged that there was a problem on North Street, Keighley, with the levels of injuries and accidents.  A route had been installed for cyclists which bypassed the Hard Ings Road roundabout and provided an off road route. The Bespoke Group, including a number of Council officers, scrutinised strategic cycle routes in Bradford.  Councillor Taj Salam was the Council’s Cycling Champion and was a Member of that group.

 

·         In car safety and issues with young children not using seat belts were addressed in a number of ways.  Sessions had been held in schools and parents of reception age children were provided with a booklet about keeping children safe in cars.  Information was also distributed to parents of two year olds by Health Visitors.

 

·         A promotion on in car safety and the use of seat belts was planned for September 2018 and would be conducted via the radio and expert team members in the Road Safety Team.  

 

·         Pedestrian training to ensure young children held their parents hands whilst on the road and schools sessions to encourage children to discuss safety with their parents/carers would be arranged.

 

In summation Members were asked to contact the Road Safety Education, Training and Publicity team with any concerns they had about in car safety or at schools in the area.   A Member expressed concern that parents were placing their child’s car seats on the off side of vehicles resulting in them getting out of the vehicles on the road side and it was confirmed that the issue was included in training material.

 

Resolved –

 

1.    That the information in respect of casualty trends and road safety activities, contained in Document “C” be noted.

 

2.    That the evidence based approach to determine road safety priorities continue to be supported.

 

3.    That officers be informed that their efforts to provide road safety training and reduce casualty levels in the Keighley constituency was appreciated. 

 

OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE: Regeneration & Environment

ACTION: Strategic Director Place

 

 

(Sue Snoddy – 01274 437409)

 

Supporting documents: