On 17 September 2012 the Transport Committee of the House of Commons received a response from the Government to the Transport Committee’s Second Report of 2012—13, Road safety, which is published with this Special Report The Government welcomes the Transport Select Committee’s report on road safety. Road safety is an important issue and Government continues to focus on effective ways of reducing the risk of road accidents. Despite the increase in fatalities in 2011, provisional figures show that Great Britain and the UK remain the leading performers in Europe with regard to road safety. Since the publication of the Strategic Framework for Road Safety last year, the Government has continued to focus on its vision of empowering local decision—makers, improving driver training and a more targeted approach to enforcement. Recent developments have included: • The introduction of legislation on drug driving to help improve enforcement; • Launching a consultation on introducing a fixed penalty notice for careless driving to enable more efficient enforcement; • Launching a consultation on a new Speed Limit Circular to improve local authorities’ flexibility in setting speed limits; • Working with the insurance industry to develop policy opportunities to reduce risk to young drivers and in turn insurance premiums; and • Creating a £15m fund to improve safety for cyclists outside London by tackling dangerous junctions, alongside a £15m fund for the same purpose in London. The Government’s response to the Committee’s recommendations is set out in this report. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting