Speed Issues

Slower Speeds Initiative Conference, Birmingham

In September I attended the Slower Speeds Initiative (SSI) conference on behalf of Bristol Cycling Campaign. The SSI will be familiar to many members. They are a consortium of different groups - CTC, Sustrans, RoadPeace, Pedestrians' Association, etc., working together to try and make our streets safer and more pleasant places. Up until now their work has mainly consisted of lobbying the government and local councils and producing some excellent, fact-filled publications.

The aim of this conference, however, was to get together "grass roots" activists to discuss ways of going forward with our campaigns. Before the discussions started in the afternoon we had presentations from Ken Spence, a council officer from York, and a senior police officer from Lancashire constabulary. Lancs Constabulary (perhaps the only area to have a female chief constable) are at the leading edge of speed enforcement in the UK and were about to unveil (on 21 November) a very imaginative programme of speed management. They estimate that, once this programme is underway, the number of motorists getting speeding tickets will rise from the current 20,000 per year to 100,000! Not suprisingly, they are getting ready to take some flak from irate motorists and the media. They have done plenty of research into the costs of road accidents and have enlisted NHS and other professionals to make a video showing the reality of road injuries. For example, in the Lancashire area alone, road casualties are calculated to cost the NHS £370 million per year and of course hospital beds are taken up by people who wouldn't be there if we had a saner transport system. They have also devised re-training courses that drivers can opt for on their first offences and their overall aim is to make drivers aware of the great responsibility they have when driving.

Ken Spence from York didn't have such a good tale to tell. Despite York council being very active on speed reduction, it doesn't seem as if they are getting the backing they need from the police. The North Yorkshire force was due to take part in the "speed camera roll out" - the scheme where police get to keep money from speeding fines, but have postponed it till 2004 because of adverse publicity. According to SSI co-ordinator Paige Mitchell, it appears that other police forces are taking this line too. These schemes have been a great success and have prevented many deaths and injuries, but it seems that favourable newspaper headlines are a more important consideration. York is still a pioneer in promoting sustainable transport - for example about 19% of journeys to work are by bike (national average 3%) and cycle and pedestrian training is high on their agenda.

After lunch we broke into groups to discuss our various campaigns which ranged from getting the limit lowered on a particular road to the type of "subvertising" campaigns that BCC have used in Bristol. Many people were taken with the CAADA posters (Community Action Against Dangerous Advertising) and we have sent some to other cycling groups.

Although our voice is small compared to the scale of advertising and newspapers, we know that we are talking sense and we'll keep slowly chipping away at the blind spot that society has for the effects of speeding.

Stop Press: The Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) committee has decided to undertake an inquiry into the nature and effects of illegal and inappropriate road traffic speed in the UK.

Steve B.