Road safety

Herefordshire Council is the statutory highway authority for the county and has statutory duties in respect of maintaining the highway network in a safe manner. We investigate accidents, analyse statistics and design engineering and educational interventions to reduce road traffic casualties.

Excellent progress in reducing road casualties has been made over the past 9 years in the county. The calendar year 2008 represented the best year on record for reduced KSI’s (accidents where casualties were killed or seriously injured). For tables showing recent road safety statistics visit the Accident investigation and prevention page
 
A comparison against the national averages indicates that the county’s most serious road traffic casualties are reducing at a faster rate (analysis can be provided if required).

Local Transport Plan

The council’s approach to improving road safety is set out in the Local Transport Plan 2006/7 to 2010/11. This is the statutory transport strategy for the council. Performance on implementing the first Local Transport Plan resulted in the council being awarded Centre of Excellence status for road safety and public transport.

Road safety strategy

The road safety strategy brings together evidence based engineering and educational interventions. Over £300,000 is allocated each year for the improvement of accident cluster sites. A substantial evidence base is now available to illustrate how the treatment of these locations has had a direct impact on accident reductions.

Road safety statistics

The statistical information on road traffic accidents is also analysed to help identify education, training and publicity programmes which are delivered to target groups within the community. A number of the programmes are aimed at young drivers, pre-drivers (children) and older drivers. The Road Safety team has successfully secured Area Based Grant funding to help support the delivery of this programme. This has funded initiatives including Speed Indicator Devices, Older Driver Refresher Training and Pass Plus (providing novice drivers with better skills).

Transport improvements

We also deliver a wide range of transport improvements, which, whilst not badged as road safety, improve the safety of vulnerable road users. These are safer routes to school, cycle network improvements and pedestrian access improvements. We have recently increased the training initiatives designed to give these road users better skills. 

Partnership working

We work in partnership with key agencies and local groups to deliver road safety improvements. These agencies include Safer Herefordshire, West Mercia Police, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, the West Mercia Safer Roads Partnership and best practice groups such as RoSPA. We are also improving working with the Highways Agency. The Highways Agency retains responsibility for the A49 trunk road which has suffered some of the county's highest levels of KSIs. We also aim to ensure that road safety principles are included in the overall delivery of highways maintenance. This approach is set out in the council’s Highways Maintenance Plan and is delivered in practice through close cooperation between the Accident Investigation Team and the Highways Maintenance Service.

The Road Safety Unit is part of the Regeneration Directorate of Herefordshire Council.

Further information

For further information, please contact the road safety unit on 01432 260946 or email a member of the team using the contacts box on the right.