Your guide to who we are and what we do. Annual Review 2008-2009
Contents Introduction
02
Who are the SSRP
03
Education & Campaigning
04-07
Engineering
08-11
Enforcement
12-15
Data
17-19
Conclusion
23
Introduction The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP) works to reduce road casualties across Sussex through education, engineering and enforcement. Each year, we develop strategies in these three key disciplines to create safer roads and safer communities by sharing the responsibility between all of our partners – including members of the public who are our greatest asset in the development of safer roads and reducing road casualties. This brief outline will give you some details of the initiatives we fund across these three disciplines and, most importantly, tell you how you can help us. Additionally, it also forms our Annual Review for the 2008 – 2009 year.
03
Who are the SSRP? The SSRP is funded by Government grant to three local authorities, East and West Sussex County Councils and Brighton and Hove City Council. The other partners are Sussex Police, the Fire and Rescue Services, the Highways Agency and HM Courts’ Service. The Partnership, which still has camera enforcement as its core activity, evolved from the Sussex Safety Camera Partnership and took on a wider remit to include education and engineering strategies when the funding route from the Department for Transport changed in April 2007. Monies raised from speeding fines no longer directly funds our activities – the Government grant received is currently based on casualty data between 1994-1998. This Grant was made available for four years and will expire in March 2011. The requirement for us is to support our partner authorities to achieve the 2010 Government national targets for casualty reduction in Sussex. This is a 40 per cent reduction in individuals killed and seriously injured (KSIs) and a 50 per cent reduction in child KSI casualties. This leaflet will give you an idea of the measures we are taking to achieve those targets.
Safer Roads Safer Communities Sharing the Responsibility
www.SussexSaferRoads.gov.uk
04
Steve Whitehead Special Projects Officer Sussex Safer Roads Partnership Event: Brighton Burn Sept’09
05
Education and Campaigning
06
Education and Campaigning Education of all road users is a significant priority for the SSRP. Many collisions can be avoided by providing appropriate education to the different road user groups, encouraging them, for example, to take regular rest breaks on long journeys, to be visible on dark nights or to be aware of the consequences that could arise from excess speed. In 2008-2009, our campaigns covered children, drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. Examples of these campaigns and initiatives include: • Bump to Five - a leaflet for families with young children including a simple “learning together” road safety guide • Promotion and subsidy of Pass Plus – a scheme for newly qualified drivers giving them a chance to add extra guided experience with the benefit of a £60 cash back offer from the SSRP • COSTS – a Government supported project aimed at commercial vehicle operators and business drivers, advising them of the risks associated with their road use, and their obligations under law
07 • Anti drink–driving – two regular campaigns, Summer and Winter, in conjunction with Sussex Police • Bikeability – working with cyclists to make their road use safer • Speed Awareness courses – offered to drivers who have marginally exceeded the speed limit in 30 and 40mph zones as an alternative to a fine and licence points. We also promote the work of the SSRP through local newspapers, radio and television, responding to their requests for comment and using them to advertise our road safety messages. The SSRP exhibition vehicle also took our road safety message to many events, including the South of England Show, Plumpton College Open Day, Eastbourne 999, Safety in Action road safety training for primary school children, Safe Drive Stay Alive for older teenagers, plus various town and village events. A number of educational resources are available to download from our website: www.SussexSaferRoads.gov.uk – and more are being added on a regular basis.
Picture of The Road Safety village taken at the South of England Show 2009
08
Picture of the re-engineered bend on the A272 at Ansty
Picture of the New Pelican Crossing on Lewes Road Brighton
09
Engineering
10
Engineering There are occasions when the road environment contributes to collisions. The SSRP’s Engineering and Enforcement Group assists to identify these areas and develop, or redevelop, stretches of road as appropriate to reduce the risk to all road users. Analysis of the factors implicated in collisions is of vital importance in identifying such areas, and feasibility studies are carried out to determine the most appropriate engineering solution. From installing a pedestrian refuge in the middle of a busy road, to completely re-profiling a sharp bend, engineering solutions play an important part in making our roads safer for all. The SSRP Engineering and Enforcement Group includes representatives from Accident Investigation and Prevention (AIP) teams from the three local authorities; Sussex Police Roads Policing Inspectors; Police Traffic Management and the SSRP Operations Manager.
The group has funded vehicle activated signs and hand-held laser speed detection devices in the past to contribute further to speed management and road safety throughout Sussex.
11
In 2008/09, the SSRP was involved with the following engineering projects:
In Brighton and Hove: • A Safe Routes to School project at Elm Grove Primary School and at Queens Park Primary
In East Sussex: • Speed management projects in Upper Dicker, near Berwick Station and at Sheffield Park • A traffic calming scheme on Brodrick Road, Eastbourne
In West Sussex: • A contribution to a major traffic calming scheme in South Street, Worthing • Re-engineering a bend on the A272 at Ansty where there had been a number of fatal and serious crashes • A study into urban crashes which will result in a future programme of improvement works
12
Unmarked bike sign in conjunction with the Don’t be a Spoil Sport Campaign at Destination Triumph, West Sussex.
13
Enforcement
14
Enforcement There are too many serious accidents on the roads of Sussex and speed is usually a contributory factor. Safety Cameras and high-visibility mobile enforcement operations are two methods of helping us to change drivers’ behaviours and lower speeds on our roads as appropriate. To site a camera (fixed or mobile) in a particular spot, all collisions causing injury or death on a 1km stretch of road are analysed alongside average
Corinne Howells Camera Technician Sussex Safer Roads Partnership Mobile Camera Unit
15 vehicle speeds and the specific needs of the local community. Before a camera can be installed, all potential engineering options are investigated to see if there is a more appropriate solution to the situation. If there are no engineering measures available which will significantly improve the safety record of the road, then a speed camera will be recommended. Red light cameras are also used throughout the county to penalise those people who choose to drive through red traffic lights. While other authorities have taken a covert approach to mobile camera enforcement, our enforcement teams are always situated in highly visible locations, wear fluorescent jackets and have highly branded vehicles advertising their presence. In addition to camera enforcement, Sussex Police (the SSRP’s enforcement partner) operates a range of unmarked cars and motorcycles to patrol the county’s roads, looking for not only speeding offences, but also anti-social drivers, those under the influence of alcohol/drugs, individuals not wearing seatbelts or those using a hand held mobile phone behind the wheel. In 2008-2009 one new fixed camera was installed on the A22 at Nutley, new cameras are imminent this year at Worth Road, Crawley and Broxbourne Lane, Bolney. Figures for 2008-2009 show we have 61 fixed speed camera housings, 45 mobile sites and 27 red-light cameras. Our website – www.SussexSaferRoads.gov.uk – has a map with the locations of all of our fixed, mobile and red light cameras, including the speed limit the cameras are placed in.
16
17
Data
18
Data The following tables show the collision and casualty data across Sussex for the financial year 2008 – 2009. The first table shows the total number of collisions and total number of casualties throughout this period. In the following two tables, we have chosen four of our key target priorities to give you an understanding of how our figures break down. The number of collisions and the number of casualties for each category may be different within these tables. This is because one collision may have multiple casualties or because an older driver (for example) involved in a collision may not have been injured, but another party in that collision may have been. When presented with the full data set, these seeming variations vanish. Please visit our website for more information about these statistics and definitions of the casualty / collision categories
East Sussex
Collisions
945
1570
2026
4541
KSI Collisions
139
342
407
888
Fatal Collisions
4
32
40
76
Casualties
1176
2104
2735
6015
KSI Casualties
145
390
467
1002
Fatal Casualties
4
35
41
80
All Sussex
Brighton & Hove
West Sussex
All casualties and collisions in Sussex 2008/09
19 Collisions involving:
All Sussex Fatal
Serious
Slight
Total
Older car drivers (65+)
15
103
430
548
Young car drivers (17 - 25)
21
168
1013
1202
Motorcycles (incl mopeds)
15
226
443
684
Business Drivers
24
222
1228
1474
Collisions involving:
Brighton & Hove Fatal
Serious
Slight
Total
Older car drivers (65+)
0
4
49
53
Young car drivers (17 - 25)
1
16
162
179
Motorcycles (incl mopeds)
1
36
93
130
Business Drivers
2
57
349
408
Collisions involving:
East Sussex Fatal
Serious
Slight
Total
Older car drivers (65+)
6
45
154
205
Young car drivers (17 - 25)
9
69
341
419
Motorcycles (incl mopeds)
8
91
164
263
Business Drivers
10
77
408
495
Collisions involving:
West Sussex Fatal
Serious
Slight
Total
Older car drivers (65+)
9
54
227
290
Young car drivers (17 - 25)
11
83
510
604
Motorcycles (incl mopeds)
6
99
186
291
Business Drivers
12
88
471
571
20 Casualties:
All Sussex Fatal
Serious
Slight
Total
Older car drivers (65+)
8
34
216
258
Young car drivers (17 - 25)
12
70
591
673
Motorcycles (incl mopeds)
15
227
449
691
Business Drivers
5
54
472
531
Fatal
Serious
Slight
Total
Older car drivers (65+)
0
2
27
29
Young car drivers (17 - 25)
1
1
77
79
Motorcycles (incl mopeds)
1
36
89
126
Business Drivers
0
7
70
77
Fatal
Serious
Slight
Total
Older car drivers (65+)
5
20
78
103
Young car drivers (17 - 25)
4
31
216
251
Motorcycles (incl mopeds)
8
91
163
262
Business Drivers
2
19
159
180
Fatal
Serious
Slight
Total
Older car drivers (65+)
3
12
111
126
Young car drivers (17 - 25)
7
38
298
343
Motorcycles (incl mopeds)
6
100
197
303
Business Drivers
3
28
245
276
Casualties:
Casualties:
Casualties:
Brighton & Hove
East Sussex
West Sussex
21
Conclusion
22
Conclusion Preventing death and injury on the roads of Sussex isn’t solely about hitting Government targets or performance indicators; it’s about saving the lives of real people. This is why the SSRP is committed to developing the most effective ways to tackle road casualties – whether these are through education, engineering or enforcement. There have been improvements to the safety record throughout Sussex over the last three years, with fewer people losing their lives. Although this fact should be welcomed, it is also important to recognise that even one injury is one too many. We have a large amount of data at our disposal to help co-ordinate our efforts and target the locations and road user groups which need the most input, but we are keen to hear local community concerns as well. You can also take proactive action to make your community safer by using Operation Crackdown. You can report any instance of anti-social driving online or by phone: www.OperationCrackdown.org / 01243 642222 Your report will be analysed by Sussex Police and any necessary action will be taken. If you have any comments or questions about the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, get in touch through our website: www.SussexSaferRoads.gov.uk by phone: 01273 467420 - or come and talk to us at the shows and events we attend across the area. You are the first link in the chain of working together for safer roads, creating safer communities and sharing the responsibility.
www.SussexSaferRoads.gov.uk
Seat belt wearing saves over 2000 lives a year.
Always wear a seat belt and fit a child restraint correctly. This saves lives and reduces injuries in the event of a collision.
Safer Roads Safer Communities Sharing the Responsibility
Visit: www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk for up to date information about the laws on seat belt and child restraints.
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