Agenda item

Considered – Report of the Corporate Director – Business & Environmental Services to detail the North Yorkshire road casualty statistics for 2020 and 2021 and summarise the road safety issues and activities undertaken.

Allan McVeigh, Head of Network Strategy, introduced the report, with the key statistics and information as summarised below:

·       The Covid-19 pandemic has had an effect on the road casualty figures, with a general trend of an increase in the collisions statistics for 2021 when compared to data recorded for 2020 and 2019.

·       Examples of this include the total number of casualties in road collisions in 2021, which were recorded as 17% more than in 2020, but continuing the overall downward trend since 2002.

·       The total reported child casualties for 2021 was 109. This is an increase on 2020, but represented a fall when compared to 2019 data. It is also lower than the rolling five-year average of 116.

·       For both elderly person and young person casualties, the data for 2021 showed an increase in comparison to the 2020 data, but both data sets are trending below the rolling average.

·       Cyclist casualties reported in 2021 reduced in comparison to 2020 and below the five-year rolling average

·       Up to the end of June 2022, there were 9 fatalities on the roads of North Yorkshire. This compares to 10 fatalities in the previous year to 30 June 2021.

·       North Yorkshire County Council has a Fatal Collision Procedure which it has adopted with North Yorkshire Police, which ensures that that we are informed by the Police at an early stage in the investigation of a road death. This makes sure that every crash location is visited and a report completed by the County Council’s Traffic Engineering Team, detailing the existing situation, and what, if anything can reasonably be introduced to prevent a collision occurring in similar circumstances.

·       The temporary Vehicle Activated Signs policy, allowing communities to purchase their own portable VAS (speed limit reminder type) to deploy on approved lighting columns or separate posts in the highway has proved very popular, with many parish councils now engaged in managing their own deployment.

There followed a discussion the key points of which are as summarised below:

·       Members noted it was difficult to directly compare the 2021 data against previous years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·       A Member felt the report required a greater emphasis on road safety measures at the disposal of the County Council and how these could be used more effectively to reduce road casualties.

·       In future, Members requested more data around the circumstances of the road accidents that have sadly occurred, in order to understand the situation better and assess whether improvements are required in particular areas.

·       Members felt mobile speed cameras were used by North Yorkshire Police as a way to raise revenue through speeding tickets, with fixed speed cameras seen as preferable.

Resolved - That Members note the figures for collisions and casualties on the roads of North Yorkshire and the actions being taken to improve road safety.

County Councillor David Jeffels left the meeting following consideration of this item.