Safer roads is the second part of Darryl Preston’s six-point plan to improve policing in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough...
Safer roads – by investing in better policing of our roads, we can reduce injuries and catch those who are breaking the law.
Safer roads
36 people were killed on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough roads in 2019 and nearly 400 seriously injured.* Having had to deal with fatal road collisions when I was a police officer, I am acutely aware of the devastating impact this has on families, friends and local communities.
Indeed, I dealt with far too many serious injury and fatal incidents on our roads – and having to deliver that message to loved ones was, for me, the hardest job in policing.
They used to be called road traffic accidents – but of course most are not: they are avoidable by all of us taking personal responsibility and driving safely. Please see my article Speed is a choice – why Road Safety Week matters for some ideas on how to drive within the speed limit.
Partnership working is the key
to tackling speeding and road fatalities
I fully support the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership's radical Vision Zero Partnership, launched last July, to reduce deaths and serious injury on our roads in the next twenty years.
It is clear we need better preventative actions. We need to be more data lead and utilise the information we collate from accidents to inform our decisions.
At the same time, we need to continue surveying our roads, making sure they are safe through technical solutions such as speed reduction and better road design.
I know that Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council are working very hard on this. They have my full support and I am determined to make sure we achieve zero deaths and serious injuries by 2040.
Listening to local concerns
Not only will I be working with all the partners involved in this initiative but I will also be listening to what residents have to say. People know their communities better than anyone and I will put forward their ideas:
- Campaigns to reduce speeding, dangerous and drink/drugs driving.
- Investment in technical solutions such as cameras and speed warning signs.
- Investment in physical traffic calming measures such as speed humps and 'gateways', which are particularly effective in villages.
- And, in consultation with local communities, reducing speed limits in residential areas to 20 mph where there is a good case to do so.
However, we do need robust enforcement of our road traffic laws by the police – catching those who break the law and deterring others.
Road safety really matters to me
My plan if elected, is
1. Lead and support the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership.
2. Ensure more police officers are on our streets – making resources available to the Chief Constable to increase the numbers of road policing officers along with more local police officers to deter and enforce the law.
3. Drive the use of innovative technology, data analysis and artificial intelligence to prevent accidents from happening.
4. Listen to local communities and support local campaigns to reduce speeding and dangerous parking. I will work with local authorities to make funds available for preventative local solutions such as traffic calming where appropriate.
5. Support the lowering of speed limits in residential areas but also in between villages where there is a good case to do so and is supported by local residents.
6. Progress the Vision Zero initiative by putting in place a clear plan and strategy.
* Source: [2019 RTAs] Cambridgeshire police reveal road deaths are on the increase.
Darryl Preston is the Conservative candidate in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Police and Crime Commissioner election in May 2021. There's more about Darryl on the About Darryl Preston page.