Norfolk trials radical new approaches to rural road safety

Added: 14/08/2008
Category: Norfolk County Council

Radical new approaches to safety on rural roads are being launched today (Tuesday 12 August) by Norfolk County Council at the start of a three-year £1.5m national Demonstration Project.

Measures to be trialed in an area of north-east Norfolk include:

· A new green derestriction sign to warn drivers they are entering the minor road network where not all hazards will be marked,

· Half-metre run-off strips added at key points on fast A roads to give errant drivers more chance to regain control,

· Hi-tech innovations such as chasing chevrons on tight bends,

· The removal or guarding of some roadside trees and the clearance of undergrowth from verges,

· Reducing the dominance and speed of traffic through villages by cutting sign clutter and enhancing the village environment,

· Short, sharp village speed campaigns using temporary vehicle-activated signs and enforcement,

· Targeting of motor cyclists, as well as continued work with young and older (over 70) drivers, who are all over-represented in road deaths and serious injuries.

Norfolk's impressive record in cutting the overall number of people killed or seriously injured on the county's roads (down by nearly half since the 1990s) led to the County Council being chosen by the Government to run the three-year Rural Road Safety Demonstration Project. Three other counties (Devon, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) have also been selected.

Norfolk County Council has Beacon status for road safety, and, working with partners such as the Police and Health through the Casualty Reduction Partnership, has gained national recognition for initiatives such as the award-winning 'Loser' campaign aimed at younger drivers. A motorcycling campaign (1% of Traffic, 31% of Casualties) has been recently launched.

However, while significant reductions in casualties have been achieved, the number of the most serious accidents and fatalities on rural roads has remained stubbornly high - a picture reflected across the country. The Government has provided £1.5m in grant aid to support the rural road safety project, with lessons learned in Norfolk then being applied across the whole country.

The project encourages the council to explore innovative ways of improving road safety on all types of country road - from fast and busy A roads and B roads to the miles of quiet lanes and byways.

A number of issues have emerged from studying the accident and casualty data:

· A high proportion of the most serious accidents, including 40% of the county's road crash fatalities, take place on fast rural A roads, but the accidents are dispersed along these roads.

· 21% of accidents involve single vehicles leaving the road and hitting trees and other objects, with 80% of fatalities in these 'run-off' accidents resulting from collision with a tree.

· On B roads, wet road surfaces and skidding are a significant factor.

· Minor roads account for less than 15% of accidents in which people are killed or seriously injured, with failure to look properly being the commonest cause.

· Young drivers, motor cyclists and drivers aged over 70 are over-represented in the casualties.

In setting out to tackle these issues, the County Council has recognised that some measures - such as extensive crash barriers or the wholesale removal of roadside trees - would be inappropriate in rural areas.

The project launch at Broom Hall, Saham Toney, was chosen because it is close to the A1075 Ovington bends where hi-tech chasing chevrons have been added to cut accidents, but the main target for the demonstration project is an area of north-east Norfolk, including North Walsham, Aylsham, Stalham and Hemsby, as well as many coastal and broadland villages.

Other measures to be tested for effectiveness within the area include:

· Making the sides of A roads more forgiving through the addition of run-off strips, verge clearance and the guarding, re-siting or removal of some trees,

· Drainage and skid resistance improvement on B roads,

· Managing driver expectations of minor roads, including a new green derestriction sign,

· Reducing the dominance and speed of traffic in villages by changing drivers' perception of the village environment, supported by periodic speed reduction campaigns,

· Enhanced education, training and enforcement aimed at motor cyclists, young drivers, and the over-70s, and the promotion of seat belt use, especially amongst men.

Adrian Gunson, Norfolk County Council Cabinet member for Planning & Transportation, said:

“Although a high proportion of serious and fatal accidents happen on fast rural A roads, they are dispersed throughout the network. A good proportion of these involve no other vehicle, and no obvious problem with the road itself, and may be the consequence of driver error at high speed. The measures we are taking aim to reduce risky behaviour by drivers, but also reduce the consequences of mistakes.”

Alec Byrne, Chairman of the Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership, said:

“This rural project gives us the chance to spare even more families from the trauma and misery that go with serious road accidents. Working within a demonstration area will give us a chance to see which measures are effective at reducing the number and severity of accidents. Lessons learned can then be applied across Norfolk and the rest of the country.”