Parliamentary advisory group set to improve road safety
PACTS (Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety) has received £60,000 funding from the Road Safety Trust to investigate the safety benefits of lower urban speed limits.
The Road Safety Trust, a charity dedicated to making the UK’s roads the safest in the world, has awarded £837,900 in its latest funding round to a total of six organisations across the UK to help improve road safety.
Lower urban speed limits are key to delivering zero road deaths and encouraging more walking and cycling. The PACTS project in partnership with University of Loughborough will examine 20mph/30kph schemes in the UK and mainland Europe. Working with stakeholders and experts in mainland Europe, learning from across Europe will be brought to the UK.
David Davies, Executive Director at PACTS said:
“Lower speed limits (20mph/30kph) in towns and villages are now internationally-endorsed as a key element in reducing road casualties and creating safe conditions for people to walk and cycle. This project will explore the evidence of outcomes (speeds, casualties, air quality, walking etc) from area-wide schemes, which have not involved significant traffic calming or police enforcement.”
He added: “30kph limits have been in operation in many towns in mainland Europe for over a decade. Working with an international team of experts and consulting widely, PACTS wants to bring this learning to the UK.”
The Road Safety Trust is the largest independent road safety grant giver in the UK and funds vital research and practical interventions committed to reducing the number of people killed or injured on UK roads. Since it was established in 2014, the Road Safety Trust has awarded grants worth £3.6m to 47 different projects.
Sally Lines, Chief Executive of Road Safety Trust said:
“The standard of applications was really high in 2019 with over 20 applications received under the theme ‘Innovative traffic calming and provision for vulnerable road users.’
“We are pleased to be able to provide the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety with funding to help achieve our vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on UK roads. We want to make the roads safer for all users, particularly vulnerable road users which includes pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.”
