Road safety improvements will be made across 27 of the most high-risk roads in England as part of a £47.5m injection to prevent fatal and serious injuries
The road safety improvements come as part of the Safer Roads Fund, which aims to improve road safety by re-designing junctions and upgrading signage and road markings. It is hoped that the programme will reduce congestion and the risk of collisions, journey times and emissions.
The government has promised to deliver a wide range of improvements across all roads in England while working with local authorities and safety groups. So far, £100 million has been provided through the programme to improve England’s 50 most dangerous roads, the majority of which are rural.
The 27 schemes receiving funding from the Safer Roads Fund 3 are:
| Road | Local authority | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| A586 | Blackpool Council | £1,100,000 |
| A35 | Bournemouth Borough Council | £1,890,625 |
| A2010 | Brighton and Hove City Council | £600,000 |
| A52 | Derby City | £475,000 |
| A104 | Essex County Council | £1,360,000 |
| A35 | Hampshire County Council | £6,040,000 |
| A5183 | Hertfordshire County Council | £1,800,000 |
| A165 | Hull City Council | £2,990,625 |
| A3056 | Isle of Wight Council | £2,140,000 |
| A5105 | Lancashire County Council | £920,000 |
| A5038 | Liverpool City Council | £859,375 |
| A186 | Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council | £3,650,000 |
| A6130 | Nottingham City Council | £950,000 |
| A609 | Nottingham City Council | £475,000 |
| A4158 | Oxfordshire County Council | £800,000 |
| A4165 | Oxfordshire County Council | £875,000 |
| A2047 | Portsmouth City Council | £1,300,000 |
| A6022 | Rotherham Metro. Borough Council | £750,000 |
| A6042 | Salford City Council | £743,750 |
| A4030 | Sandwell Metro. Borough Council | £750,000 |
| A625 | Sheffield City Council | £1,425,000 |
| A3025 | Southampton City Council | £875,000 |
| A13 | Southend-on-Sea Council | £3,425,000 |
| A1156 | Suffolk County Council | £1,275,000 |
| A25 | Surrey County Council | £1,800,000 |
| A439 | Warwickshire County Council | £1,320,000 |
| A3102 | Wiltshire Council | £6,980,000 |
Fatalities in road collisions decreased by 4% in 2022
According to the most recent government statistics, there were 1,760 fatalities in reported road collisions in the year ending June 2022, a 4% decrease compared with the year ending June 2019. In the same period, 29,804 people reported death or serious injuries, a decrease of 6% compared with the year ending June 2019. A total of 137,013 people reported casualties of all severities, a decrease of 12% compared with the year ending June 2019
“Britain’s roads are some of the safest in the world, but we are always looking at ways to help keep drivers and all road users safe. We’re injecting £47.5 million so that local councils around the country have the support they need to keep everyone safe while reducing congestion and emissions and supporting local economies,” said transport secretary Mark Harper.
The £47.5 million allocation is based on data from independent surveys from the Road Safety Foundation. The researchers analysed data on individuals killed or seriously injured alongside statistics on traffic levels. The data analysed is based on a road safety risk, looking at data on those killed and seriously injured alongside traffic levels. The scheme could prevent around 1,450 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years.
How can road safety improvements benefit the economy?
According to Road Safety Foundation analysis, the scheme will lead to a £420 million benefit to society. Whole life costs considered, and the overall benefit-cost ratio of the investment is estimated at 7.4, meaning for every £1 invested, the societal benefit would be £7.40.
“The commitment and funding announced today are transformational for road safety teams in local authorities across the country. It will allow them to proactively reduce risk and make these 27 roads safer and more inviting for all road users,” said Dr Suzy Charman, executive director of the Road Safety Foundation.
The investment builds on the government’s plan to recruit a specialised team of inspectors to create the country’s first-ever Road Safety Investigation Branch. The team will investigate how and why incidents occur and work to improve understanding of how collisions can be better mitigated.
