Month: July 2020

A response from MP Duncan Baker to our cycling safety strategy , note we are already  getting some local councillors onto it but feel free to contact them yourself to raise awareness, thanks!

Thank you for contacting me about road safety.

The UK’s roads are among the world’s safest, but there is no room for complacency.

I know that enhancing safety for all road users is a priority for the Department for Transport. For example, £100 million has been allocated to fund improvements to 50 of England’s most dangerous A roads, and many of these projects are now underway.

Moreover, in November 2018 an ambitious 50 point action-plan for improving the safety of vulnerable road users was announced. As part of this, £100,000 has been allocated to support the police’s capacity to handle dash and helmet cam evidence relating to road traffic offences.

Indeed, the Government has been cracking down on road traffic offences. In 2017 Ministers doubled the points issued under a fixed penalty notice for using a hand-held mobile phone to call or text while driving or riding a motor vehicle, and raised the fine from £100 to £200. The Government now intends to further tighten the law to prohibit all hand-held mobile use while driving.

Drink driving enforcement has been strengthened too, by ending the automatic right for drivers who fail a breathalyser test to demand a blood and urine test, thereby removing the opportunity to sober up while waiting for the test to be taken.

The recently published Road Safety Statement also sets out a far reaching two year action plan to improve road safety for key groups, including young road users, older vulnerable road users, rural road users and motorcyclists.

In addition, Ministers have committed to review certain elements of the Highway Code, with the aim of improving the safety of vulnerable road users. I understand the Department will consult on proposed changes to the Highway Code later on this year.

Regarding the document you have produced for North Norfolk more specifically, I would suggest you and your fellow members all raise this with their local County Councillors, as this would be a matter for the Highways Team at Norfolk County Council to look into. Please do keep me in touch with this and further developments.

I do hope this helps.