Audit Commission

Three thousand deaths and 237,000 injuries on the roads every year cost the NHS £470 million and the economy £8 billion according to the report Changing Lanes, published by the Audit Commission today (26 February).

Britain's roads are among the safest in the world, but a child pedestrian in England is three times more likely to die on our roads than in Italy and twice as likely as in France. And while the number of people killed or seriously injured is falling overall, the number has increased for motorcyclists.

Councils have proved it is possible to reduce the number of road accidents by focusing on behavioural change among road users. In one of the report's case studies, the York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership shows how it took actions that helped reduce its road death toll from 85 in 2005 to 68 in 2006.

Measures such as redesigning road junctions and installing pedestrian crossings have contributed to a reduction in the number of people who die or are seriously injured on the roads, but these engineering initiatives are unlikely to be the only answer to a further significant reduction.

Education campaigns that are specifically targeted at groups at risk are needed as well as effective enforcement of road traffic law. Investment in highly focused local campaigns that are based on reliable information about specific local problems is also likely to represent good value for taxpayers' money.

Steve Bundred, Chief Executive of the Audit Commission, said:
'Just like drinking and driving, using a mobile phone at the wheel or speeding near schools should be socially unacceptable. 'It is clear that many accidents are avoidable. Councils have shown that as well as targeting accident blackspots with safety cameras and better engineering, it is also possible to change the attitude and behaviour of road users that cause accidents.'

Councils are well placed to coordinate local activities to improve road safety further. Better collection and exchange of reliable information could help reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries because it would enable police, schools, firefighters and health workers to target road safety initiatives more effectively.

This would also help councils achieve a better balance between road engineering at accident blackspots and the education and enforcement that helps to change road users' behaviour.

Councils can play a leading role by coordinating local road safety activities that offer value for taxpayers' money, working with the police and other local bodies. Changing Lanes sets out a framework for improving road safety and makes a series of recommendations for local authorities, police forces, crime and disorder reduction partnerships, NHS bodies, fire and rescue services and central government.

The report recommends that:

• councils should raise awareness of road safety issues among secondary school pupils and of the resources available to schools;
• police forces should improve the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of road collision data;
• NHS bodies should provide anonymised data about accident victims to highway authorities so they can target their activities more effectively on the people most at risk, and on where they live and work and play; and
• central government should develop a system so that knowledge from research into road safety is available locally and easier to access.

ENDS

Changing Lanes features case studies from the following organisations and projects:

• York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership
• Metropolitan Police Service
• Transport for London
• London Borough of Tower Hamlets
• Plymouth City Council
• Cleveland Safety Camera Partnership
• Hartlepool Borough Council
• Leeds City Council
• London Borough of Croydon
• Hampshire County Council
• West Midlands Casualty Reduction Partnership

Facts and figures for England from the Changing Lanes report

• Twenty per cent of all drivers involved in accidents are aged under 25.
• Road accidents account for 27 per cent of all deaths in males aged 15-24.
• The average cost to the NHS of a serious injury from a road accident is £12,806.
• One in every 200 deaths occurs on the road.
• Of 240,000 injuries from road accidents in a year, 25,000 are serious injuries.

Notes to editors

1. The 2006 Local Government White Paper gives local authorities a particular responsibility for leading work to improve outcomes for local people. This gives them a key role in addressing road safety, through local strategic partnerships and local area agreements.
2. The Local Government White Paper describes a place-shaping role for local authorities, in which they take a lead in coordinating local activities.
3. The Audit Commission is an independent body responsible for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently and effectively, to achieve high quality local services for the public. Our remit covers around 11,000 bodies in England, which between them spend more than £180 billion of public money each year. Our work covers local government, health, housing, community safety and fire and rescue services.
4. As an independent watchdog, we provide important information on the quality of public services. As a driving force for improvement in those services, we provide practical recommendations and spread best practice. As an independent auditor, we ensure that public services are good value for money and that public money is properly spent.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Nigel Watts, Senior External Communications Officer
Tel: 020 7166 2129, Fax: 0845 052 2617, Mobile: 07813 315 538,
Email: nigel-watts@audit-commission.gov.uk