Speed Management Policy
Safety on our roads is an issue which concerns many organisations, as well as road users themselves. The Highways Agency, local authorities and police forces throughout the country are committed to long term casualty reduction; in support of the Government’s strategy paper ‘Tomorrow’s Roads – Safer for Everyone’. In Wiltshire and Swindon, key organisations with a role to play in casualty reduction have come together to form the Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership. The partnership has representation from Wiltshire County Council, Swindon Borough Council, Wiltshire Police and the Highways Agency.
The objectives of the partnership are to improve road safety in Wiltshire and Swindon and reduce the number of casualties in accordance with national targets set for 2010. These are:
Safety on our roads is an issue which concerns many organisations, as well as road users themselves. The Highways Agency, local authorities and police forces throughout the country are committed to long term casualty reduction; in support of the Government’s strategy paper ‘Tomorrow’s Roads – Safer for Everyone’. In Wiltshire and Swindon, key organisations with a role to play in casualty reduction have come together to form the Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership. The partnership has representation from Wiltshire County Council, Swindon Borough Council, Wiltshire Police and the Highways Agency.
The objectives of the partnership are to improve road safety in Wiltshire and Swindon and reduce the number of casualties in accordance with national targets set for 2010. These are:
- A 40% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road collisions and...
- A 50% reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured.
- sharing information on road safety issues
- identifying road safety problems
- implementing solutions where road safety problems are identified
- Improving road user behaviour by the use of engineering, educational and enforcement initiatives
In order to meet the 10 year targets, the number of killed or seriously injured (KSI) on roads in Wiltshire and Swindon must reduce from an average of 486 a year during the baseline period of 1994-1988 to 292 a year by 1st January 2010. Current figures can be found by following the link Statistics.
The causes of road traffic collisions are complex, and the Partnership organisations tackle them in a variety of ways. This document sets out the Partnership’s approach to one of the principal causes of injury collisions: excess and inappropriate speed.
The Need for a Speed Management Strategy
Road safety can be tackled on a number of fronts, but initiatives generally fall into one of the ‘three Es’: education, engineering and enforcement. Many of these approaches require joint working, and at strategic level this is overseen by the Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership. Both Wiltshire County Council and Swindon Borough Council have agreed joint approaches to road safety in partnership with Wiltshire Police.
The long term aim of the Partnership is to influence driver behaviour in such a way that the need for enforcement work is minimised. In the meantime an agreed approach to speed management is a necessary part of the wider road safety agenda.
It is estimated that excess or inappropriate speed is a contributory factor in approximately a third of all road traffic collisions. The problem is not confined just to the few ‘top end’ speeders (motorists who exceed the speed limit in excess of 25mph).
Government research shows:
- Accident frequency rises disproportionately with increasing speed; for example a 10% increase in average speed will lead to an increase of more than 10% in collisions
- Injury frequency also rises disproportionately with speed. At 30 mph a belted front seat passenger is 3 times more likely to suffer serious injury on impact than at 20 mph. At 40 mph the likelihood is 5 times greater.
- Around two-thirds of all accidents where people are killed or injured happen on roads where the speed limit is 30mph or less
- In the case of pedestrians, 40% who are struck at speeds below 20 mph sustain serious injuries, but this rises to 90% at speeds up to 30 mph
- An average family car travelling at 35mph will need an extra 21 feet (six metres) to stop than one travelling at 30mph
- If you hit a cyclist or pedestrian at 35mph rather than 30mph, the force of the impact increases by more than a third
- Excess speed (above the speed limit) is a frequent contributory factor, but inappropriate speed (too fast for the local road conditions) is just as important
- A change in the mean speed of traffic will affect collision risk and each reduction in mean speed of 1mph will reduce collision frequency by about 5%. Slowing the fastest drivers will yield the greatest safety benefits. If the average speed of faster drivers goes up by 1 mph, collisions go up by 19%
- It is not safer to drive faster at night. Casualty rates are double that during daylight hours due to higher speeds because of less traffic, higher alcohol consumption, tiredness and darkness
- Every driver can make a difference just by slowing down a few miles per hour and observing speed limits
To bring about a reduction in the number of collisions and casualties on the roads in Swindon and Wiltshire, by encouraging motorists to drive at speeds which are both within the legal speed limits and appropriate to conditions and circumstances.
In addition to the obvious need to reduce casualties on the roads there are also good reasons for reducing the speed of vehicles in certain locations. For many people, particularly in residential areas on through routes, speeding can become a quality of life issue. Environmental factors should also be considered. In some cases speed may be of local concern even when the speed limit is not being exceeded. Examples include roads in the vicinity of schools, and more generally in some residential and rural areas. Sometimes these concerns can be addressed through local Crime and Disorder groups, but where these do not have direct access to the necessary resources the Partnership will have a role to play. A second aim of the strategy is therefore:
To respond to local concerns about speed of vehicles in a way which is effective and proportionate to the circumstances.
Approaches to both strategic aims should be dynamic, as situations and priorities will change over time. However, measurable improvements should be achievable in the short term through effective deployment of the Partnership’s resources. In the longer term the aims will be achieved if the Partnership is able permanently to:
- Bring about a change in driver attitude towards excess speed and thus improve driver behaviour and...
- Influence public opinion against drivers who exceed speed limits and make speeding socially unacceptable
Technology and Analysis
Analysis of the available information on speeds, casualties, collisions and causation factors will often identify the best approach to improving safety in a given location. The safety camera project has a full time analyst, in addition to the existing staff within the individual partner organisations. The analyst’s work will be of benefit for a number of purposes; not limited to decisions taken in respect of the camera project. This work will underpin much of the decision making on speed management and help determine which measures are most likely to be effective at individual locations.
Approaches to speed reduction
1. Education
Training
Driver and Rider training can help improve driver behaviour in the long term. Examples of measures already in place are Bikesafe, the Driver Improvement Scheme, Speed Awareness Workshops and Pass Plus. Whilst the number of motorists reached may be relatively small, these schemes do allow the opportunity to target motorists who pose a particular risk, either because they are more vulnerable (motor cyclists), they are inexperienced or because they have been identified as existing offenders.
Talks and Presentations
By supporting a range of measures where opportunities arise, the Partnership can have a long term impact on driver attitudes and behaviour. These measures are likely to include talks, courses and presentations to target groups, including businesses and pre driving age audiences.
Local Initiatives
Where there is concern over speeding in local villages and communities support can be offered to local groups or as part of a Crime and Disorder initiative. This may be through local publicity campaigns and working with other partner organisations.
2. EngineeringImproved Signing and Marking
Where it appears that an identified hazard is contributing to collisions it may not always be possible to design it out. However, improved signing and road marking may highlight the danger and encourage motorists to reduce their speed on the approach to the hazard.
Road Environment
In some circumstances, especially in urban areas, significant reductions in speed may be achieved by changing the road environment so that it is more appropriate to the speed limit. It is recognised that the driver’s own perception of the road environment is an important factor in their choice of speed. Examples of positive action may include road markings, vehicle priority schemes and traffic calming. In most cases, introduction of 20 mph speed limits should be accompanied by supporting engineering measures in order to achieve speed and casualty reductions.
Interactive Signs
Interactive warning signs have already been installed at several sites. They are activated by vehicles travelling at a speed considered too fast for an approaching hazard, but not necessarily in excess of the legal speed limit. Initial indications suggest that the signs are very effective at reducing vehicle speeds and accidents, but do not have a long-term sustained effect on behaviour of local motorists.
3. EnforcementSafety Cameras
The Partnership's successful bid for acceptance on the hypothecation scheme provided considerable potential to impact on casualty numbers. Experience has shown that increased camera activity has a significant effect in reducing collisions and casualties. By concentrating on mobile sites it is possible to respond promptly to changing circumstances and trends. Operational deployment of cameras can be targeted at sites where the potential benefit is greatest. Figures in relation to accident reduction at our camera sites can be found at the statistics page.
Use of cameras will be most applicable in circumstances where motorists regularly exceed the speed limit.
Previously, the rules under which hypothecation was allowed required concentration of camera activity on locations and routes where KSI numbers justified their use. At least 85% of enforcement had to be at business case sites that had a history of casualties as per the Department for Transport's (DfT) guidelines. The remaining 15% could be at exceptional (community concern) sites where the casualty history did not comply with DfT enforcement guidelines but where there was a significant speeding problem detected as a result of traffic surveys conducted to tackle temporary problems or to meet specific local concerns. Since April 1 2007, the funding for the Camera Partnerships is now controlled by the relevant Local Transport Plans (LTPs) (Wiltshire County Council and Swindon Borough Council) from a grant allocated from the DfT. The DfT, having transferred the authority for enforcement and site selection to the LTPs, recommended that the guidelines as issued previously should be adopted.
Prosecution Thresholds
A gradual reduction in the threshold at which a prosecution is triggered will send a message to motorists that speeding will not be tolerated and ultimately encourage greater compliance with speed limits. Prosecution thresholds will be proportionate to information based on the number of casualties, the speed limit and the volume of traffic and any such decision rests solely with the Chief Constable. Such guidance however, will not and cannot replace police officers' discretion to issue a summons or a fixed penalty notice in respect of offences committed at lower speeds. Moreover, in particular circumstances, driving at speeds lower than the legal limit may result in prosecution for other offences, for example dangerous driving or driving without due care and attention, when the speed is inappropriate and inherently unsafe.
Speed Limits
Speed limits are reviewed from time to time by the Highway Authority concerned and should be appropriate to the location. A reduced limit combined with other measures such as high visibility enforcement or traffic calming techniques such as signing and road engineering can encourage driver compliance.
Speed Management at Roadworks
Major road and motorway road works require advance consultation between the highway authority and the police. Where possible the highway authority or their contractors should take appropriate measures to ensure safety at these locations, but on occasion, police assistance may be necessary and speed enforcement may be desirable to ensure safe passage of traffic and the safety of the roadworkers on the site. Accidents at roadworks statistics can be viewed here.
A Framework for Decisions on Speed Management
The most appropriate solution to managing speed will vary according to the nature of the problem from one location to another. It is not practical to be prescriptive as each situation should be considered on its merits, but in general an incremental, proportionate approach should be adopted.
At one extreme, where local residents believe there is a problem but there is no supporting evidence, it may be that no action will be taken and the Partnership should be prepared to justify this decision if necessary. At the other extreme, where excess speed is frequent and there is a history of injury collisions, rigorous enforcement through use of speed cameras will be justified.