DfT aims to make Britain’s roads safest in the world
Jim Fitpatrick, Road Safety Minister, set out the Government plans to dramatically cut the number of road deaths on UK roads. The DfT’s draft road safety strategy for 2010-2020 – A Safer Way: Consultation on Making Britain’s Roads the Safest in the World has now been published.
Some of the proposals include:
- Giving new guidance on setting road speed limits to local authorities.
- Recommendations that 20mph zones be set or limits into streets around schools, which are primarily residential, to protect pedestrians and cyclists.
- Review speed limits on single carriageway rural roads, reducing the limit on more dangerous roads.
-Formation of a new independent expert panel to identify trends and issues and also to provide an annual report on road safety to the Government.
- New targets are to be set to cut cut road deaths by one-third by 2020 and to halve the number of child deaths and serious injuries on the roads.
There are also proposals to reform driver training for example:
- Rolling out a new voluntary pre-driver qualification in safe road use for 14-17 year olds.
- Introducing case studies into the theory test.
- Developing a new vocational qualification for van drivers to improve their driving skills at work.
- Improvements to the practical test and also improving the content to the Pass Plus scheme to maximise the incentives offered by insurers.
- Launching a trial of a new “Learning to Drive” syllabus setting out all aspects of safer driving.
- Modernising learner driver training including how to choose an instructor.
Later this week the DfT will launch phase one of the new THINK! road safety education programme, with resources, activities and materials for early-years and upper primary children, teachers, parents and Road Safety professionals.
Tags: cars, dft, road safety, UK, vans
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