Agenda item

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources which gave detail of road traffic collusion and casualty numbers within the Borough in the year 2011 and recommended a continuance of road traffic collision reduction work.

            The Board was advised that Appendix to the report set out full details of the numbers of traffic collisions and casualties in the year 2011 and compared these figures with those from previous years. These results were exceptionally good. The report also gave details of casualty trends locally against national figures and highlighted concerns regarding the resources available to continue road safety work in the future.

            In summary during 2011:

·         there were 278 road traffic collisions involving personal injury in Halton, this being the lowest number in over 20 years. These incidents produced 422 casualties;

·         35 of the casualties were classed as serious and there were five deaths, giving a total of 40 killed or seriously injured (KSI) which was the lowest in over 20 years;

·         the child serious injury (CKSI) total of 7 was one more than in 2010, but unlike 2010 when one child died on our roads, there were no child fatalities in 2011 and this number was in line with the trend for gradual on-going reductions year to year;

·         the number of people of all ages being slightly (SLI) injured fell from 423 in 2010 to 382; and

·         Halton’s slight reduction in the local KSI total in 2011 bucks the national trend which saw the first annual increase (2%) in the number of people KSI in road accidents since 2003.

            Members were advised that since April 2011, Halton had suffered the loss of annual Government funded capital and revenue Road Safety grants £75k and £396k respectively. This had resulted in a halving of the number of Road Safety Officers in Halton and loss of funding for a wide range of projects and initiatives. The cuts had also meant Halton no longer provided any financial contribution to the local safety camera partnership. Whilst Halton’s 2011 casualty figures were exceptionally good, the fear remained that these cuts would have an impact on our ability to continue achieving year on year reductions, despite the best efforts to maximise resources through running initiatives jointly with Warrington Borough Council and other partner organisations.

            It was noted that the fixed safety camera sites within Halton continued to be operated by Cheshire Police. In addition the Cheshire Road Safety Group had agreed a review of all existing camera sites to establish which would be retained and which were no longer justified. Halton was actively engaged in this process but the future of many safety camera sites was in doubt and as most of them lacked the necessary recent accident history to warrant retention. It was agreed that Members would be kept informed of any potential sites where it was proposed that cameras would be removed.

            RESOLVED: That

1.    the overall progress made on casualty reduction in Halton be noted and welcomed;

2.    the current programme of road safety collision reduction schemes and road safety education, training and publicity be endorsed;

3.    concerns with regard to the achievement of further casualty prevention, as a result of resource reductions, be noted; and

4.    Members would be kept informed of any potential sites where it was proposed that cameras may be removed.