This report calls on society to recognise that road danger is an unnecessary and tragic cause of death and disability. More British people have been killed by vehicles than were killed in the Second World War. Road safety matters because its lack affects us all, hinders sustainable development, places pedestrians and cyclists at risk, and penalises public transport. People cause crashes. The main types of crashes and injuries are listed, and the gradual progress of safety, with its promising initiatives, is reviewed. Fundamental problems are preventing the further reduction of road casualties; they need to be addressed and solved. A vision for road safety is needed, so that we can fundamentally change our collective attitude to the safety of road users, and make travel by all modes as safe as public transport, the safest mode. This vision can be achieved through: (1) education, to make individuals aware of how their actions affect the safety of others and how each individual must take responsibility; (2) engineering, to reduce the risk of crashes and prevent injuries in crashes; (3) enforcement, to ensure that traffic regulations effectively protect all roads users; and (4) encouraging people to travel less, especially by car. We must take coordinated action through European and national road safety plans and local action.
Samenvatting