Issue - meetings

The Board received a report on the latest road safety statistics released by the Department for Transport through the publication of the 2022 Comprehensive Annual Report. 

The report set out full details of the numbers of traffic collisions and casualties in 2022 and compared these figures with those from previous years.  Of those killed or seriously injured, the number of adult and child casualties increased.  However, due to the low numbers recorded annually in Halton, this number did fluctuate from year to year.  In 2022, the country emerged from a succession of Covid Pandemic lockdowns and the small rise in road casualty numbers, both in Halton and nationally, almost mirrored the rise in traffic levels.

Halton had achieved its performance targets as set by the Department of Transport. There were 157 road traffic collisions involving personal injury within Halton, 9 more than the previous year.  These incidents resulted in 188 casualties, a 7% increase on the 2021 figure but 24% below 2019 when traffic levels were comparable.

In addition, the report highlighted the work the Road Safety Team had undertaken in 2022/23 and the programme for 2023/24 which would continue to cover road traffic reduction schemes, road safety education, training and publicity as well as engaging with Cheshire Police to target effective enforcement action.

Members also considered information on the following road safety initiatives: 

·       “Smiley” Speed Indicative Device/Sign (SiDs);

·       Speed Camera A562;

·       Gyratory Red Light Camera;

·       Mobile Speed Camera Sites;

·       Collision Sites;

·       Safer Active Travel;

·       Education; and

·       Halton 2023/24 Strategy.

          RESOLVED: That

1)    the overall progress made on casualty reduction in Halton over the past decade be noted; and

2)    the 2024/25 strategy of road safety schemes and road safety education, training and publicity be endorsed.