A recent report run by the Road Safety foundation has revealed that Lancashire is among four authorities who have suffered more than half a billion pounds worth of economic loss on their roads, as a result of crashes resulting n death and serious injury.
In total, accidents on Lancashire roads came at a cost of £544million, with only Hampshire and Kent costing the UK more. It was also revealed that the A588, which connects Blackpool to Lancaster, is marked as one of the most dangerous roads in the UK.
Caroline Moore, who produced the report, insisted that highway budgets could be used to help introduce ways to reduce risk on Lancashire’s roads. She said: “They just need to review the roads. We’ve got the tools to measure the safety on their roads and help to prioritise where improvements can be made.”
The A588, which runs through Conder Green, Cockerham and Pilling, saw 26 fatalities and serious crashes between 2011-2013 alone and Parish Councillor, June Jackson, has called for a reduction to speed limits on the stretch to help bring that number down. Meanwhile, County Councillor, John Fillis has insisted that improving the level of safety on Lancashire roads is already a priority of the council.
On Lancashire’s roads in 2011-2013, there were 45 fatal crashes and a further 529 serious crashes. The total cost of £544 million covers the cost emergency services response, insurance claims and the loss of output due to injury.
Baring these things in mind, overall, the report revealed that Britain loses 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on road crashes. Also, half of Britain’s road deaths are concentrated on just 10% of the UK road network, predominantly on motorways and ‘A’ roads surrounding the centre of urban areas.
Interestingly the report also reveal where and how improvements have taken place in the UK and explains how the authorities have been enabled to reduce road crashes by 80% on a whole in the areas that most of the improvements take place.
Figures like these underline the importance of seeking out ways and methods to improve the safety of our roads and prove that should measures be carried out then this can be achieved, something that the Government should certainly be taking notice of when trying to figure out ways to slash the burden of road traffic accidents in the UK.
It certainly makes sense to invest funding, time and effort into improving the road safety conditions on dangerous UK roads, such as the A588, rather than cutting legal representative costs for personal injury victims because after all is said and done, the less accidents that occur on UK roads, the less road traffic accident injury claims there are to make.
Scott Rees and Co Partner, David Byrne, responded to the release of the figures, saying: “There is clear evidence here that more can be done to increase the safety of the UK’s roads, particularly in our county, Lancashire.”
“Reducing the number of accidents that occur on UK roads has to be a priority and will in turn reduce the number of serious injury claims being made at the same time, which of course the Government has insisted they are committed to.”
“By reducing speed limits where necessary, improving road surfaces and layouts and just ensuring the right level of maintenance is carried out, the Government can achieve all of their aims and most importantly, they could save the lives of road users.”
The report’s analysis took place over 45,000 kms of roads across the UK and revealed that the safest region is currently the West Midlands, in particular their single carriageways. Ayr, in Scotland, is home to the most improved road, namely the A70 in Cumnock and the road that proves the most persistent high risk was revealed to be the A18 in Laceby, Lugborough, which runs between the East Midlands and Yorkshire.
To conclude the report the Road Safety Foundation, stated that reducing the number of crashes on the road networks was a moral and economic imperative for those responsible for the motorways and major A roads, Highways England.