Road traffic collisions and safety (health and wellbeing needs in South Tyneside)

135,000 people were seriously injured on European roads in 2014, according to figures published by the European Commission for the first time in April 2016. While the number of deaths on European roads has fallen dramatically over the last decade, serious injuries have declined at a much slower rate. Official targets to reduce road deaths have been in place since 2001, but there is no equivalent for serious injuries.

European Transport Safety Council: Report supports calls for an EU target to reduce serious road injuries

This research examined real world collision data and investigation outcomes from across Europe in an attempt to boost understanding of the most common collision situations that result in serious injuries. The data reveal many of the key risk factors and victim profiles which could help member states identify the best measures to reduce such collisions.

Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of the European Transport Safety Council said:

"Serious injuries on our roads continue to have a devastating impact on millions of victims and their families. We know that EU targets, combined with the right measures have had a dramatic effect on reducing deaths. It's essential that we now apply the same thinking to serious injuries. We have the data, and this new report highlights the situations and groups that would most benefit, so it's time for the Commission to finally give the green light."

The Commission was expected to set a target to reduce serious road injuries in the first half of last year, having been promised 'shortly' in a Commission press release of 24 March 2015.

The public health strategy "Healthy Lives, Healthy People" (2010) highlighted the need to reduce road injuries in children and address the 'strong social and regional variations'. Reports relating to the earlier cross-government "Staying Safe" strategy such as the "Staying Safe: Action Plan" (2008) and "Accident Prevention Amongst Children and Young People - A Priority Review" (2009) address child road safety issues in more detail.

The 1988 Road Traffic Act, Section 39, puts a "statutory duty" on the local authority to undertake studies into road traffic collisions, and to take steps both to reduce and prevent them.

On a broader transport scale, over the last 60 years road traffic density in the UK has steadily increased and congestion in many urban areas is a significant problem. While the expansion in car use has brought many social and economic benefits, increased vehicle numbers and traffic volume has also had negative impacts on health:

• greater risk of road traffic crashes, with pedestrians and cyclists being particularly vulnerable 
• long-term exposure to air pollutants decreases life expectancy
• areas of high deprivation suffer most from air-pollution-related morbidity and mortality and the effects of noise pollution
• increased community severance as a result of poor urban planning.

Speed

• An increase in average speed is directly related both to the likelihood of a crash occurring and to the severity of the consequences of the crash.
• An adult pedestrian's risk of dying is less than 20% if struck by a car at 50 km/h (approx. 30-mph) and almost 60% if hit at 80 km/h (approx. 50 mph)
• 30 km/h (approx. 20 mph) speed zones can reduce the risk of a crash and are recommended in areas where vulnerable road users are common like residential and schools areas.
• Apart from reducing road traffic injuries, lower average traffic speeds can have other positive effects on health outcomes (e.g. by reducing respiratory problems associated with car emissions).

Drink-driving

• Drinking and driving increases both the risk of a crash and the likelihood that death or serious injury will result.
• The risk of being involved in a crash increases significantly above a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04 g/dl.
• Laws that establish BACs of 0.05g/dl or below are effective at reducing the number of alcohol-related crashes.
• Enforcing sobriety checkpoints and random breath testing can lead to reductions in alcohol-related crashes of about 20% and have shown to be very cost-effective.
• Young and novice drivers are subject to an increased risk of road traffic crashes, when under the influence of alcohol, compared to older and more experienced drivers.
• Laws that establish lower BACs (≤0.02 g/dl) for young and novice drivers can lead to reductions in the number of crashes involving young people by up to 24%.

Motorcycle helmets

• Wearing a motorcycle helmet correctly can reduce the risk of death by almost 40% and the risk of severe injury by over 70%.
• When motorcycle helmet laws are enforced effectively, helmet wearing rates can increase to over 90%.
• Requiring helmets to meet recognized safety standards ensures that helmets can effectively reduce the impact of a collision to the head in the event of a crash.

Seat-belts and child restraints

• Wearing a seat-belt reduces the risk of a fatality among front-seat passengers by 40-50% and of rear-seat passengers by between 25-75%.
• Mandatory seat-belt laws and their enforcement have been shown to be very effective at increasing seat-belt wearing rates.
• If correctly installed and used, child restraints reduce deaths among infants by approximately 70% and deaths among small children by between 54% and 80%.

Distracted driving

• There are many types of distractions that can lead to impaired driving, but recently there has been a marked increase around the world in the use of mobile phones by drivers that is becoming a growing concern for road safety. The distraction caused by mobile phones can impair driving performance.
• Drivers using mobile phones may have: slower reaction times (notably braking reaction time, but also reaction to traffic signals), impaired ability to keep in the correct lane, and shorter following distances.
• Text messaging also results in considerably reduced driving performance, with young drivers at particular risk of the effects of distraction resulting from this use.
• Drivers using a mobile phone are approximately 4 times more likely to be involved in a crash than when a driver does not use a phone. Hands-free phones are not much safer than hand-held phone sets.
• Public consultation took place between January and March 2016 which sought views on proposals to increase penalty points and fixed penalty notice (FPN) levels for using a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving. The overwhelming majority of respondents to the consultation supported increased sanctions for this offence.
• The following sanctions will be in place from March 2017:
  • raise the fixed penalty points issued under a fixed penalty notice for this offence from 3 to 6 for all drivers
  • raise the fixed penalty notice fine from £100 to £200 for all motor vehicles

Effective road safety:

• Saves lives and prevents (often life-changing) injuries
• Enables people to live healthy and full lives
• Prevents emotional and psychological trauma
• Saves an immense amount of public money
• Reduces the burden on over-stretched public services, such as health and social care
• Supports other public policies, such as improving health by helping and encouraging people to walk and cycle in a safe and attractive environment
• Helps to tackle health inequalities
• Improves community cohesion and quality of life

The 1988 Road Traffic Act states:

Each local authority must prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety and may make contributions towards the cost of measures for promoting road safety taken by other authorities or bodies. Local authorities also have a duty to take steps to reduce and prevent accidents, promote road safety and secure the safe movement of traffic (including pedestrians) on their roads.

The Council carry this out through, road safety education and training; and investigating injury accidents on the highway in order to formulate and introduce remedial measures to reduce the number and severity of accidents occurring.

Statutory duties to deliver road safety

While central government sets the regulatory framework for roads, vehicles and road users, and national road safety strategies, road safety delivery occurs primarily at the local level with Local Government being the lead delivery agent, working in partnership with many other agencies and stakeholders.

Local Authorities

Local authorities have various statutory duties related to road safety:

The Road Traffic Act 1988 (Section 39) requires local authorities in Great Britain to

• take steps both to reduce and prevent accidents
• prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety
• carry out studies into accidents arising out of the use of vehicles on roads or part of roads, other than trunk roads, within their area
• take such measures as appear to the authority to be appropriate to prevent such accidents

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (Section 122) requires local authorities in Great Britain to

• to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of vehicular and other traffic(including pedestrians)

The Traffic Management Act 2004 (Section 16) requires local authorities in England and Wales to manage and maintain their road networks to

• secure the expeditious movement of traffic on, and the efficient use of, their road networks
• avoid, eliminate or reduce road congestion or other disruption to the movement of traffic on
• their road network or a road network for which another authority is the traffic authority.

Partnership Approach

Partnership working is a vital ingredient for a successful road safety strategy to ensure a joined-up approach to road safety and also to raise public awareness of road safety and sustainable transport. Road safety delivery agents, such as the Police, Fire and Rescue Services and Public Health agencies, all have a duty to help prevent road crashes and casualties.

The police are a key delivery agency for local (and national) road safety. Roads policing supports and complements road safety education and engineering initiatives. It discourages and detects illegal, dangerous and careless behaviour on the road, identifies offenders and helps to educate, and change the attitudes of, road users. It also prevents other forms of crime.

Road death and injury is massively wasteful, destroys lives beyond those of the actual victims, limits future productivity and drains money from our economies. It is also eminently preventable and we have an enviable record in reducing road casualties at a fraction of the costs to society of the problem itself.

Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative (NSRI)

Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative (NSRI) was set up to use police led enforcement to inform education and communication to help reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads. It is a partnership between the five Tyne and Wear local authorities and Northumberland, Northumbria Police, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue services, Her Majesty's Court Service, the Highways Agency and Newcastle University.

The initiative works to improve enforcement of speed restrictions and other offences such as jumping red lights, using a mobile phone while driving, not being in proper control or not wearing a seatbelt. The initiative also works to educate drivers through various online platforms, about road safety issues and aims to help reduce vehicle speeds where appropriate and raise people's awareness of road conditions. Details are on the NSRI website at:

Safe Speed for Life

South Tyneside Council have identified its priorities which are laid out covering the following key themes:

• Parking
• Transport
• Cycling
• Roads and pavements
• Road safety
• Street care and cleaning
• Street lighting
• Beach and water services
• Transport policy
• Winter advice
• Traffic cameras

South Tyneside Council: Parking, roads and transport

Motor vehicle traffic accidents are a major cause of preventable deaths and morbidity, particularly in younger age groups. For children and for men aged 20 - 64 years, mortality rates for motor vehicle traffic accidents are higher in lower socioeconomic groups.

The vast majority of road traffic collisions are preventable and can be avoided through improved education, awareness, road infrastructure and vehicle safety. Parents cite vehicle speed and volume as reasons why they do not allow their children to walk or cycle, thereby reducing opportunities for physical activity.

The main risk factors for road traffic injuries

Factors influencing exposure to risk

• Economic factors such as level of economic development and social deprivation
• Demographic factors such as age and sex
• Land-use planning practices which influence length of trip and mode of travel
• Mixture of high-speed motorized traffic with vulnerable road users
• Insufficient attention to integration of road function with decisions about speed limits, road layout and design

Risk factors influencing crash involvement

• Inappropriate and excessive speed
• Presence of alcohol, medicinal or recreational drugs
• Fatigue
• Being a young male
• Having youths driving in the same car
• Being a vulnerable road user in urban and residential areas
• Travelling in darkness
• Vehicle factors - such as braking, handling and maintenance;
• Defects in road design, layout and maintenance, which can also lead to unsafe behaviour by road users
• Inadequate visibility because of environmental factors (making it hard to detect vehicles and other road users)
• Poor eyesight of road users

Risk factors influencing crash severity

• Human tolerance factors
• Inappropriate or excessive speed
• Seat-belts and child restraints not used
• Crash-helmets not worn by users of two-wheeled vehicles
• Roadside objects not crash-protective
• Insufficient vehicle crash protection for occupants and for those hit by vehicles
• Presence of alcohol and other drugs

Risk factors influencing post-crash outcome of injuries

• Delay in detecting crash and in transport of those injured to a health facility
• Presence of fire resulting from collision
• Leakage of hazardous materials
• Presence of alcohol and other drugs
• Difficulty in rescuing and extracting people from vehicles
• Difficulty in evacuating people from buses and coaches involved in crash
• Lack of appropriate pre-hospital care
• Lack of appropriate care in hospital emergency rooms

Risk to future provision

Road safety cannot be immune to continuing financial pressures; however there are many reasons to protect road safety spending, as much as possible. As the lead delivery agent of road safety activity, Local Government needs to protect this spend. It is an ethically, socially and economically sound policy area that will deliver real cost savings, and improves peoples' lives.

It is essential to ensure that road safety funding is used effectively and provides value for money, which can be achieved by ensuring that road safety programmes are:

• Informed by local data and evidence, and prioritise high risk groups and areas
• Based on a Safe System Approach
• Planned and delivered in partnership with other agencies, and consultation with local people
• Evaluated to assess effectiveness and identify improvements

The UK has one of the best road safety records in the world, but more can be done to prevent deaths and serious injuries. The number of people killed in road traffic collisions in the UK reported to the police has decreased by 2 per cent from 1,775 in 2014 to 1,732 in 2015 (Tyne and Wear Traffic and Accident Report, 2015). The total number of reported casualties (slight injuries, serious injuries and fatalities) in collisions in the UK in 2015 also decreased by 4% as shown in Table 1.

See Table 1 Road Traffic Appendix

The Tyne and Wear Traffic and Accident Data Unit (TADU) produces a detailed picture of road traffic collisions in the North East, where possible using data over the previous five years. TADU also plays a key role by supplying data to support the delivery of transport solutions, planning, health and economic development across Tyne and Wear.

TADU is funded by the five Tyne and Wear local authorities and manages two key data sets:

• Road traffic accident data for the Northumbria Police Force area
• Traffic flow data in Tyne and Wear for those locations monitored for the Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative (NSRI)

The North Regional Road Safety Resource is a sister facility of TADU and provides high quality, detailed analysis or road safety, collision and casualty statistics to support education, training and publicity activities with a region wide focus in a co-ordinated way. It provides a single focus for the analysis of road safety information at a regional level and promotes best practice and continued improvement across the North East.

The Road Safety Resource produces reports on both regional and local concerns as well as issues such as the impact of deprivation on road safety, pedal cycle casualties along with benchmarking performance of the twelve regional local authorities against others across the country. North East Regional Road Safety. This information informs South Tyneside road traffic and accident position.

See Table 2 Road Traffic Appendix

None identified.

The North East Combined Authority 20 year transport manifesto sets out it vision for the North East to have good transport that enables economic growth and sustains jobs and communities. In particular it has seven key themes:

1. Accessible: it should run as near as possible to where people live and want to travel to, and where businesses are (or want to be) located. It should be usable by everyone.
2. Affordable : as far as possible, transport should be provided at a reasonable cost relative to the journey being undertaken.
3. Reliable: the transport network should be one that we can rely on to work, with buses and trains running on time and congestion at a minimum.
4. Easy to use: it should be easy to plan safe journeys, find out the best way to travel, pay for tickets and get all the essential information for your journey.
5. Safe: the transport network should be, and be seen to be, safe regarding both road safety and also crime and fear of crime on public transport. Vulnerable users should be given greater protection than they currently are.
6. Sustainable: the attractiveness of sustainable modes of transport should be improved. Transport should not have an adverse impact on the environment.
7. Integrated: the transport network should be connected so that people can switch easily between modes, and timings and methods of payment complement each other.

These seven themes above can be expanded into a set of guiding principles, which will govern what the North East Combined Authority is trying to achieve:

• Good access to workplaces, services, shops and leisure
• Well-maintained, climate-resilient and safe transport networks
• Less road congestion
• More sustainable travel
• Growth in economic activity
• Better air quality and lower carbon emissions.
• Healthy, active lifestyles
• Efficient use of transport assets
• Land use planning that favours sustainable travel.
• Equality of opportunity
• Better cycling network
• Better connectivity across the UK.
• Expand the public transport network

South Tyneside has been consistently below both the England and Regional Averages (2012-2014) for the following Public Health Outcome indicators, demonstrated by following the links below:

1.10 Killed and seriously injured (KSI) casualties on England's roads

Public Health Outcomes

12.01 Alcohol Related Road Traffic Accidents

Fingertips: Local Alcohol Profiles for England

And within the Child Health Profiles:

Children killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents

Fingertips: Child and Maternal Health

• Safety Cameras - to address accidents caused by speeding drivers.
• Safety Audits - to ensure new highway works do not create accidents.
• Safer Cycling - Road Safety Officers work in selected schools and with volunteer groups to provide cycle training.
• Marketing and Publicity - Plan partners distribute posters and leaflets to schools and businesses giving road safety advice. The Group takes part in Government led national road safety campaigns.
• School Crossing Patrol Wardens - Plan Partners give the Wardens training and provide warning signs and road markings.
• South Tyneside Road Safety team through Go Smarter initiatives delivers education, training and publicity across the Borough for drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. These sessions provide advice and essential introduction into safe road use for children and young road users, and valuable safety information for adults. investing in safer routes to school and improved enforcement of parking around schools, to tackle illegal parking outside school entrances.
• As children progress through school, road safety education is tailored to suit the needs of their year group through presentations, class room talks and class based activities. We aim to encourage children / young road users to develop their own strategy for coping with the road environment and begin to understand the importance of making safe choices. Sessions include:
  • Bikeability Plus
  • Bikeability
  • Child Pedestrian Training
  • Independent Choices
• Further information on each of these schemes can be found at: Road safety education

The World Health Organisation sets out five key evidenced based interventions for safer roads

1. Setting and enforcing speed limits
2. Designing roads according to their function (e.g. highways, suburban roads)
3. Speed cameras or stationary enforcement
4. Traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps and traffic circles
5. Education and public information

Nice Guidance, Unintentional injuries on the road: interventions for under 15s (PH31) provides the following recommendations:

1. Health Advocacy and Engagement
2. Needs assessment and planning
3. Measures to reduce speed
4. Popular routes

Detailed information is available from:

NICE: Unintentional injuries on the road: interventions for under 15s

No source identified.

None identified.

Last Updated 30/01/2023