Safe Speed Forums

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Release ... 1/30105300

Drop in road deaths

30/01/2006

Figures released today in "Road Accidents Scotland 2004" confirm that 306 people were killed in 2004, an eight per cent decrease on 2003, and the second lowest figure for 50 years.

The 2004 figures also show that the Executive has reached its target of halving the number of children killed and seriously injured on the roads by 2010.

Transport Minister Tavish Scott said:

"This devolved government is committed to making Scotland's roads safer for all who use them and I welcome the fact that these figures show a reduction in the number of people killed and injured on our roads.

"However, we must not be complacent. We must continue to promote safe driving through effective education, safety improvements on our roads and tougher enforcement.

"The Scottish Safety Camera Programme's hard-hitting road safety campaign, new investments in road improvements at accident black spots and our substantial funding to local authorities to introduce 20 mph zones and safer routes to schools are all part of that three-pronged approach.

"Combined with our support for Road Safety Scotland, and cycling and walking projects such as the development of the National Cycle Network we are committed to preventing even more needless deaths and injuries on our roads."

Provisional figures for Road Accidents Scotland 2004 were published in June 2005. Today's final figures include a more detailed breakdown of the figures, including a comparison with England and Wales and about 30 other countries. The publication can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/transtat/ras

On March 1, 2000, the UK Government, the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales announced a new road safety strategy and casualty reduction targets for 2010. The new targets, which were given in the document Tomorrow's roads - safer for everyone, are based on the annual average casualty levels over the period 1994 to 1998, and are for:
a 40 per cent reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents;
a 50 per cent reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured; and
a 10 per cent reduction in the slight casualty rate, expressed as the number of people slightly injured per 100 million vehicle kilometres.
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1) These are 2004 figures first published in about June 2005. (so why publish them again?)

2) There's no good news in road deaths despite the spin.

1981 to 2004 inclusive:

1981 677
1982 701
1983 624
1984 599
1985 602
1986 601
1987 556
1988 554
1989 553
1990 546
1991 491
1992 463
1993 399
1994 363
1995 409
1996 357
1997 377
1998 385
1999 310
2000 326
2001 348
2002 304
2003 331
2004 306

So no significant improvement since 1999 then. So much for camera benefits.

I'm left wondering if 2005 figures are a complete nightmare, and they have an early indication?

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Of the periods you quote, Paul, 13 of the 24 years would have been the lowest casualties for 50 years! It puts the "2nd lowest in 50 years" boast in perspective.

According to the local news, (Radio Tay) in Tayside & Fife the fatalities actually went UP!!...and Tayside is one of the more pro-active partnerships, with even more Gatsos's & mobile units popping up. Hmmmm

The standard deviation on 324 deaths is 18 for random events, so +/-25 or so is no more than statistical variability, with a low level of confidence, unless the long term trends are considered.
So I don't know what they have to crow about, in comparison with the 2002 figure.

Something funny?? Something smelly more like.

The fact that a £400,000 Scottish Executive advertising campaign to highlight the 'dangers of speeding' is currently in progress seems no coincidence either.

I anticipate the usual drivers are not heeding the message spin when the 2005 numbers come out.

2002 was significantly lower than either 2001 or 2003.

if the 2005 figures follow the same pattern then the five year trend will probably go up!!!

1981 to 1994 is most impressive however.

when were gatsos first introduced to the uk? when was the firts utterance of the mantra 'we want to make speeding as socially unacceptable as drink driving?'

Also,

if you look at the annual reduction,

Fatals reduced every year between 1985 and 1995.

since 1995 the number of fatals has increased on the previous year 6 out of nine times.

This would imply to me that something happened in 1994/1995 and something else happened in 1999/2000.

since 1999 the fatal stats have displayed a complete random cycle.

I'm sure this was 1991

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

Widespread use of police-controlled speed cameras...



First 'Safety' Camera Partnerships.

Sorry they were leading questions but doesn't it all fit rather nicely.

No wonder the stats have been difficult to get hold of.

1992 - and that was an 'experiment' that resulted in 290 tickets.

See: http://www.safespeed.org.uk/fatality.html (has ticket figures)

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

But the speed kills message started being propagated at the same time.

Any savings in scotland are wiped out by failings in Hampshire reported to be nearly 50% up on last year at over 200? I am still trying to get the figures but I need to keep a low profile for a couple of months.

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code