Latest news from Loughborough University
| 14 June 2007 | PR 07/81 |
UK no longer leading the way in road safety
An international panel of road safety experts, which includes members of Loughborough University’s Vehicle Safety Research Centre (VSRC), says the UK is no longer leading the way in road safety in Europe.
A comparison of UK road safety performance with that of other European countries reveals that progress in the UK on reducing road deaths is slower than in other top performing countries. Data from 2006 put the UK in sixth place in Europe for road deaths per million population (source: CARE and national statistics). The top five European countries in 2006 with the fewest road deaths per million population were: Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway.
Today (Thursday 14 June) 30 distinguished experts and state representatives gathered in London for a high-level debate on UK road safety in the European context. The event has been organised by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and the VSRC as part of the ETSC’s Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) programme.
The PIN programme is a new policy instrument to help EU Member States in improving road safety. By comparing Member States’ performance, it serves to identify and promote best practice in Europe and ultimately create a road transport system that offers the maximum safety.
The experts’ discussion was based on the findings of the first road safety PIN Report as well as the Department for Transport’s (DfT) three-year review. The UK does not hold a top position in any of the road safety rankings presented by the ETSC. In summary:
- The UK has made little progress on reducing road deaths between 2001 and 2005. It has reached a seven percent reduction over this period, compared to around 25 percent in Sweden and the Netherlands, and 35 percent in France.
- Numbers of drink driving deaths in the UK have remained high over the last decade and have actually risen in relation to other deaths. This is also the case in six other countries.
- Mean driving speed in the UK has decreased over the last ten years by nine percent on urban roads. There has also been a three percent reduction in the mean speed on 70 mph all-purpose roads, but mean speed on 60 mph roads has increased by nine percent since 2001. It is only in France, Belgium and Switzerland that speed reductions have been recorded on all types of road in recent years.
- Seat belt use in the UK in the front seat of cars and vans is high at 90 percent (2005) but not as high as in the top three countries France, Germany and Malta.
Professor Pete Thomas from Loughborough’s VSRC is a member of the PIN Steering Group. Speaking about its latest findings he said: “The UK has been a leader in road and vehicle safety for many years helping to set the standard for Europe. Progress in reducing road deaths has slowed and the UK has to develop more innovative solutions and apply them.”
Professor Richard Allsop, ETSC board member and Chairman of the PIN programme, added: “Much road safety policy and practice in the UK is good, but these comparisons with our fellow-Europeans come as a wake-up call to anyone tempted to acquiesce in present levels of death and injury on our roads – perhaps especially those concerned with priorities for law-enforcement.”
Robert Gifford, Executive Director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, said: “This objective analysis of the performance of the UK reminds us of how much more progress we need to make. We used to claim that we had the safest roads in Europe. That claim is no longer matched in reality. The UK clearly needs to do much more to reclaim its position at the top of the EU road safety league.”
ENDS
For all media enquiries contact:
- Judy Smyth, Loughborough University’s Public Relations
Office,
T: 01509 228697, E: J.L.Smyth@lboro.ac.uk
Notes for editors:
- For a table of road deaths in Europe per million population in 2006 contact Judy Smyth in Loughborough University’s Public Relations Office.
- The Vehicle Safety Research Centre (VSRC) was established in 1983 to provide transport and road safety policy and design solutions to governments and the industry using in-depth real world research tools. The Centre’s ongoing research and consultancy activities for major clients have led to its reputation as a world leader in its field, often collaborating with other national and international organisations. See http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/esri/vehicle-road-safety/index.htm.
- The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) is a Brussels-based independent non-profit making organisation dedicated to the reduction of the number and severity of transport crashes in Europe. The ETSC seeks to identify and promote research-based measures with a high safety potential. It brings together 37 national and international organisations concerned with transport safety from across Europe. See http://www.etsc.be.
- The Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) Programme was launched in June 2006 to compare road safety performances of 27 European countries. See http://www.etsc.be/PIN.php.
- The event in London to discuss UK road safety was kindly supported by Toyota Motor Europe.
- Loughborough is one of the country’s leading
universities, with an international reputation for excellence in teaching
and research, strong links with industry and unrivalled sporting achievement.
It is a member of the esteemed 1994 Group – a set of internationally recognised, research-intensive universities – and has a reputation for the relevance of its work. Its degree programmes are highly regarded by professional institutions and businesses, and its graduates are consistently targeted by the UK’s top recruiters
Loughborough is also the UK’s premier university for sport. It has perhaps the best integrated sports development environment in the world and is home to some of the country’s leading coaches, sports scientists and support staff. It also has the country’s largest concentration of world-class training facilities across a wide range of sports
In the 2006 National Student Survey, the University gained a top five place, with nine out of Loughborough’s 23 departments topping their subject tables. Loughborough was also placed 6th in the 2007 Times Good University Guide and was named winner of the 2006 THES award for the UK’s Best Student Experience. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been awarded five Queen's Anniversary Prizes – an achievement bettered by no other university.