In March 2000, the former Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions launched its road safety strategy “Tomorrow’s Roads – Safer for Everyone”. The council and partners in the borough's Road Safety Forum have published a strategy for casualty reduction, which is summarised here.
Every year, around 3,500 people are killed on Britain’s roads and 30,000 are seriously injured. In total there are over 280,000 casualties. These cause inestimable human suffering. They are also a serious economic burden – the direct cost of road accidents involving deaths or injuries is thought to be in the region of £3bn a year.
However, Britain has a relatively good safety record particularly in terms of numbers of deaths and serious injuries. These two categories have reduced by 40% and 45% respectively compared to 1981-85 averages. Despite this there has not been such a steep decline in the numbers of roa accidents, nor in the numbers of slight injuries. Britain’s record for child pedestrian deaths also does not compare well with other European countries.
The Government’s strategy sets out 3 key targets to be achieved by 2010. Compared to 1994–1998 averages, there is to be:
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a 40% in the number of people killed or seriously injured;
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a 50% reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured;
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a 10% reduction in the number of slightly injured casualties.
These targets also form the basis of the Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) 99, which monitors progress made each year towards achieving the targets.
In addition to the national targets, Greater Manchester’s LTP 2 sets out a number of further targets for authorities to achieve by 2010, compared to the 1994-1998 averages. The national targets of a 40% KSI reduction and a 50% child KSI reduction has been stretched to the more challenging targets of, respectively, 50% and 55% reductions. The target of a 10% reduction in slight casualties is now set at a 30% reduction. In addition, further targets have been set:
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a 25% reduction in the total number of cyclist casualties;
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a 25% reduction in the total number of pedestrian casualties;
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a 50% reduction in the number of fatal and serious accidents;
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a 50% reduction in the number of road accidents in which children have been fatally or seriously injured.
