News : Some of the safest roads in the country

Blackpool has been named as one of the most successful local authorities in the country for reducing road casualties.

 

New data from the Department for Transport, breaking down road traffic accident casualties by local authority area in England, revealed Blackpool as the fourth most successful area in reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads in the past decade.

 

Blackpool has achieved a 62% reduction in the amount of people killed and seriously injured on the roads compared with an average from 1994-98.

 

Maxine Callow, Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities, said: “Over the past 10 years we have worked hard to reduce the number of people needlessly killed and injured on our roads.

 

“Through a mixture of education, engineering and enforcement we have achieved a great reduction in casualties and will continue to work hard to reduce these numbers further. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and it is up to all road users in Blackpool to help us make the roads safer by taking care and abiding by the law.”

 

In 2007 Blackpool Council launched the Vision Zero campaign which aims to reduce the number of people killed on Blackpool’s roads to zero.

 

Travel and Road Safety Manager, Carol Bracegirdle explains: “Blackpool’s vision is one of no more lives lost on our roads. But the responsibility for road crashes should be shared by everyone. Unfortunately three people have died so far this year on our roads. We are asking all road users to do their bit to continue to make our roads safer for everyone.”

 

Targets were set by the government in 2000 to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic crashes by 40% by the year 2010.

 

Blackpool Council met these targets by 2003 and is now working towards stretch targets.

 

The baseline figure of people killed and seriously injured in Blackpool in 1994-1998 was 197. In 2007 94 people were killed or seriously injured on Blackpool’s roads.

 

Successful though the statistics appear to be it is essential that every one continues to work hard to reduce the statistics still further and this means looking out for other road users, taking care and noting that road safety is everyone’s responsibility. Let’s make 2009 the safest year yet on Blackpool’s roads!

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