Published by DfT:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/d ... 612469.pdf
Safe Speed issued the following PR at 15:14 this afternoon:
PR353: National Travel Survey: Road safety impact
news: for immediate release
The National Travel Survey published recently by Department for Transport shows
a 16% fall in pedestrian activity since 1995/1997. Over the same time period
pedestrian fatalities have fallen by 33% (from 1995-7 average = 1003 to 2005 =
671).
This indicates that half (16%/33%) of the road safety benefit that DfT have
been claiming for their policies is simply because pedestrians have not been
around as much exposed to road risks.
Over the same period, road deaths affecting all users other than pedestrians
have fallen by only 2.8% (from 1995-7 average = 2,603 to 2005 = 2,530).
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
(
www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "The national travel survey indicates that half of
the road safety benefit delivered by Department for Transport (DfT) over 10
years is simply down to people choosing to walk less. DfT policies are in
crisis. Nothing they do works, and it isn't surprising because they are no
longer fit for purpose and they are institutionally unable to understand the
process of safe driving."
"I'm forced to wonder what proportion of the reduction in pedestrian activity
is because speed cameras have sent the false message to pedestrians that the
road side is simply too dangerous."
"What have we got to do to get road safety policies that concentrate on skills,
attitudes and responsibilities? They are the only policies that can work.
<ends>
The Conservatives issued the following PR:
National Travel Survey 2005: Proof of Labour’s broken promises
Commenting on the National Travel Survey released yesterday, Shadow Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:
"The Government has lost its way over its transport policy. Year after year, we've had promise after promise about improvements, but very little ever seems to happen. This report is yet further confirmation of that.
"The Government said that they would encourage more children to walk to school and more adults to get on their bikes. Yet the number of children, especially those of primary school age, being driven has gone up,
while the number of bike trips per person has gone down.
"With obesity now constituting a major threat to the public health in Britain, why is the Government not doing more to meet their pledges to persuade people to incorporate exercise into their daily journeys?"
Labour’s broken promises
The number of walking trips per person per year fell by 16 per cent.
Labour Promise Broken: "safer environments for walking and cycling, leading to substantial increases in both activities" and "We wish to see a significant expansion of walking and cycling schemes". (Transport Ten
Year Plan 2000).
The number of trips by bus in London per person per year increased by 28 per cent while trips by bus outside London fell by 13 per cent.
Labour Promise Broken: "By 2010, increase the use of public transport (bus and light rail) by more than 12 per cent in England compared with 2000 levels, with growth in every region". (The Future of Transport PSA,
July 2004).
The proportion of primary-aged children walking to school declined from 53 to 49 per cent, with an increase from 38 to 43 per cent in the numbers being driven to school. For secondary school
pupils, the proportion travelling to school on foot and by car increased slightly while the proportion travelling by bus fell from 33 to 29 per cent.
Labour Promise Broken: "encouraging children to walk and cycle through school travel plans, which we will roll out to every school in England by 2010". (The Future of Transport, July 2004).
The number of bicycle trips per person per year is down from 20 in 1995/7 to 15 in 2005.
Labour Promise Broken: "Our target is to treble the number of cycling trips from their 2000 level by 2010". (Transport Ten Year Plan 2000).
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