Road safety is an important part of what Churchill Parish Council is here to do, and the safety of all road users in our area is a key priority. Safer roads and lanes underpin our mission to enable greener journeys through active travel and, most importantly, to ensure that everyone can travel safely, especially vulnerable people and our children. Every fatality and serious collision is a tragedy and, although UK roads are some of the safest in the world, any death on local roads would be a tragedy that would affect the whole community. Recent national research and road safety reviews highlight growing concern about road safety and driver behaviour. According to research reported by Road Safety GB, 44% of UK adults believe their local streets are dangerous, with 55% stating that roads in their immediate area have become more hazardous over the past year.¹ The primary issues emerging from recent road safety research include:
1. The decline of everyday driving manners.
Pressure-induced tailgating: National Highways research estimates that 4.9 million UK drivers say their manners slip when they are under everyday pressure, particularly when running late. Around 2.4 million drivers admit to deliberately closing the gap on vehicles ahead to encourage slower drivers to speed up.¹ Perceived hostility: Research from Aviva, reported by the Driving Instructors Association, found that 51% of people feel less safe on the roads than they did in recent years, with almost a quarter (24%) identifying more aggressive and intimidating drivers as the main reason for this decline in confidence.² These figures are national, of course, and they do not mean that everyone driving through Churchill & Langford is behaving badly. But they do underline something that I suspect many of us have experienced: the way we behave towards one another on the road can make a real difference to how safe, or unsafe, a journey feels.
2. Rural roads and local conditions
Our local roads present their own particular challenges. Rural roads can be narrow, have limited safe places to pass, and may include bends, junctions and restricted visibility. Recent research also suggests that changing traffic patterns are pushing more motorists onto rural roads. IAM RoadSmart found that more than half of motorists had been diverted onto rural roads because of congestion on motorways, dual carriageways and other major roads.³ We all know what happens here whenever the M5 is shut, or when there’s an incident on the A38. Our quiet country lanes suddenly become a part of alternative routing, creating a rapid increase in the interaction between vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and other road users.
3. What can we do about it?
National research suggests that dangerous driving is not simply a question of speed limits or road design. Driver behaviour, enforcement, road layout, visibility and the condition of the road all have a part to play. Research reported by Road Safety GB found that 19.4% of people had witnessed dangerous driving on their local streets multiple times a day, while 23% admitted that they regularly speed on those same local roads.¹ That apparent contradiction is worth thinking about. Most of us want other people to drive carefully around our homes, schools and villages — but road safety ultimately depends on all of us making the same commitment ourselves. There is no single solution. Appropriate speed limits, effective enforcement, better visibility, suitable road markings and signage, and responsible driving behaviour all have a role to play. That is why road safety in Churchill & Langford is something I intend to keep working on. In the coming months, I will look at these issues in more detail, including specific local roads, known problem areas and the practical measures that can make a difference. If you would like me to investigate a specific local road safety issue, please get in touch: garyalleyne@churchillpc.org.uk Until next time… Gaz – Councillor Gary Alleyne