Agenda item

The Panel will consider the Kirklees Highway Safety Update setting out the work delivered in the current financial year (2023/2024).

Contacts:

Phillip Waddington, Group Engineer – Highway Safety

6                    The Panel considered the Kirklees Highways Safety Update report which set out the work delivered within the financial year (2023/24).

Councillor Moses Crook, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Housing and Highways introduced the item and explained that the report provided a review of the areas of work undertaken by the Highways Safety Team along with the proposed works to year end. The report also included reference to collision data, which was monitored to target resources and achieve the greatest possible safety improvements contributing towards the Vision 0 agenda. Key highlights included an extensive education programme to support the safety of young people and the Councils shared 2038 climate change targets. This included delivery of; training programmes to 4847 school children, 6456 ‘Bikeability’ training sessions and the ‘Theatre in Education Programme’ which had been delivered to 1360 secondary school children.  Alongside the comprehensive training package, was the promotion of the mode shift programme and once schools had signed up there had been demonstrable reduction in car use by 6.3%. Councillor Crook shared that the programme was forward looking in terms of establishing patterns of behaviour for the next generation, supporting the councils shared ambitions to the climate change agenda, supporting active travel and making a meaningful contribution to keeping communities safe and healthy. 

Elizabeth Cusick, Operational Manager, - Highways and Streetscene presented the report, and it was highlighted that:

• The Council had a statutory duty under the1988 Road Traffic Act Section 39 to promote road safety through education, training, engineering, and publicity.
• These responsibilities and duties were administrated by the Highway Safety Team and included Casualty Reduction, Community Traffic Measures and Road Safety.
• The delivery of the statutory responsibilities included:
  • Monitoring all collisions reported to the Police.
  • Analysing and investigating the reported evidence on circumstances and related contributory factors.
  • Developing yearly programmes of work and interventions for priority locations with a history of personal injury collisions.
  • Undertaking Road Safety Audits (RSA) for new schemes on the highway.
  • Developing the Education and Training packages.

·         In Addition to the Statutory Duties revenue funding was also used for several other streams of work i.e. - refreshing road markings, safe routes to school, mode shift and small-scale safety interventions etc…

·         Key Road Safety Stakeholders (including the road user) and strong partnership working across Kirklees and West Yorkshire was integral to delivering Vision 0.

·         Data showed that at present, there had been an approximate 5% reduction in casualty numbers when compared with the data from 2022.

·         This created an average saving of approximately £3.3mil with the average cost of a collision costing approximately at £92,000 per casualty.

·         More importantly this was saving lives and reducing the risk of injury and trauma in communities. 

·         Work from April to November 2023 included the:

o   Delivery of 13 capital schemes (now completed) and 9 schemes which were on site to be completed by year end and supported by CRSTS-1 funding.

o   The early 2024-25 and 2025-26 forward programmes using injury collision data and first year rate of return prioritisation (both years to be CRSTS-1 funded at £925,000 each year).

o   The integration of the West Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership’s new criteria into the team, and the promotion of a number of new locations for Average and Community Safety Cameras.

o   4847 school ages pupils received training which was anincrease of 2843 compared to the same point last year.

o   62 schools had signed up to ModeshiftandWarwick Road and Batley High School were named Kirklees Schools of the Year at Modeshift Regional Awards.

·         Looking forwards there were plans to; expand the road safety training programmes, deliver 7 capital schemes, continue to identify and promote new locations for Safety Cameras, launch the Kirklees Highways Road Safety Strategy and to continue the integration and promotion of Vision 0.

In the discussion to follow, questions and comments were invited from the Panel, with the following issues being covered:

·         In relation to the School Streets Trial, it was advised that this involved closing streets outside of schools during morning/evening pick up times except for some residential traffic. The trials found that residents altered driving time to avoid peak hours, but a key challenge was that the scheme was reliant on schools capacity to manage the equipment to close roads and monitor them.

·         In relation to the reduction in casualty figures and the link to preventative measures, it was advised that the decrease was attributed to a combination of key factors including vehicle safety innovation, engineering, and human behaviour change. Casualty data was monitored prior to intervention and after implementation to provide an understanding of its effectiveness. It was also noted that Kirklees’s performance was good when compared with statistical neighbours.

·         Driver behaviour was noted as a key influential factor resulting in unavoidable incidents and it was recommended that the collision data be filtered to differentiate between avoidable and unavoidable cases, highlighting where targeted action could be taken.

·         A need to understand more about the difference between the nature of collisions in urban and rural areas was highlighted and it was recommended that the collision data be filtered to demonstrate this.

·         There were concerns that multiple minor incidents in one location were not recorded in the data and it was recommended that ways to record this be investigated.

·         It was highlighted that it was important to showcase examples of success in relation to interventions made in high-risk areas to demonstrate which schemes were effective, it was recommended that officers undertake work to highlight successful outcomes.

·         In relation of expanding and supporting mode shift it was advised key challenges included the dependence on schools capacity, but work was being undertaken to encourage Vison 0 and promote increase in uptake.

RESOLVED: The Panel noted the Kirklees Highways Safety Update and recommended that:

1.    The collision data be filtered to differentiate between avoidable and unavoidable casualties.

2.    The collision data be filtered to help identify trends and differences between the nature of incidents in urban and rural areas of Kirklees.

3.    The recording and consideration of locations where there were multiple minor incidents be investigated.

4.    Work be undertaken to showcase examples of successful interventions made in high-risk areas to demonstrate which schemes were effective.