This paper outlines how much road safety has developed from the early days, through the `golden years' of research and the development of practice, to the broader thinking of the last 15 years. It then considers major changes in approach that are needed during the next 15 years, identifying priority issues and needs for future strategy. The first major study of road safety in the UK was in the early 1930s, and investigated the behaviour of rubber-tyred wheels on road surfaces. In 1938, the Alness Report on the Prevention of Road Accidents made over 200 recommendations for actions in education, enforcement, and engineering, and showed remarkable foresight. Its proposals were shelved during World War 2; many of them were adopted from 1946 on, but some of them still have not been implemented. The 1950s and early 1960s were exciting years in the development of road safety research. A new approach was publicised in 1967, just after UK road traffic accidents had peaked. In the late 1970s, the approach was broadened, and in 1983 the Government set up a comprehensive review of road safety policy. The paper discusses: (1) the main factors contributing to accidents; (2) the priority issues for different road hierarchies; (3) the priority issues for changing road-user behaviour; (4) the needs for future strategy; (5) responsibilities; (6) expertise; and (7) future questions.
Abstract