The role of information in a strategic framework for road safety Paul O’Sullivan Head of Road User Licensing, Insurance & Safety, Department for Transport
What I want to cover Road safety – State of play Key themes for a strategic framework for road safety Delivering a safer big society The role of information
Trends in road casualties: GB
Trends in GB road deaths
Who is most at risk? KSIs per 100,000 population, age & mode (GB 2008)
International comparisons of road deaths per million people (2009) Great Britain (best in class and still improving)
Why has road safety improved? Vehicles Enforcement (eg speed) Infrastructure Education, marketing and awareness (THINK)? And..
Snow
The recession : Year on year change in road deaths, traffic and GDP (1979 –2009)
A new strategic framework for road safety. Some key themes: Making it easier for road users to do the right thing Effective sanctions if road users deliberately choose to be dangerous Systems designed to protect when things go wrong More education and training –as alternative to fines and points for low level offences –for children and young drivers More local and community decision making –provide local information to citizens Support and capability building –tools to support road safety professionals
Delivering a Safer Big Society Elements: Social action Public sector reform Community empowerment Themes: Decentralisation Transparency Building capacity
Transparency and information Local citizens’ websites Speed camera information Better information and tools for road safety professionals
Significant variation in local performance Percentage change in reported KSI casualty rate per billion vehicle miles Reported KSI casualty rate per billion vehicle miles ( average)
Transparency and better information
How is my area doing?
How does it compare?.. and on speed cameras On comparative local performance cameras
Building capacity Better tools for road safety professionals. –New knowledge centre road safety website –Light touch ‘accreditation’ using road safety stakeholder community; editorial control across the group Local capacity? Making best use of behavioural science
Better tools: Casualties and socio- economic factors
Behavioural science and ‘Nudge’ in road safety
Issues and Questions? Can we get upward pressure and local delivery to work better? How far can we go with social media/ internet to get citizen involvement? Impact of less funding on ability to: –use information –provide information –engage with and respond to local citizens’ views? Questions?