Meeting documents
PTE/14/61
Place Scrutiny Committee
15 September 2014
Road Traffic Collisions and Casualties 2013
Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment
1. Summary and long-term trends
This report is presented at the request of Place Scrutiny Committee (min *47 10 June 2014 refers).
The overall long term (10 year) trend for Devon's road casualties[1] is mixed, with all severities in 2013 down by 7% compared with 2012; down by 24% since 2004 and down by 10% against the 5 year average between 2008-2012. However, there are some areas where casualties are rising.
2013 also saw the lowest number of road fatalities on record. 16 road users lost their lives travelling in Devon in 2013 compared with 34 in 2012. This was a 53% reduction on 2012 and was 45% lower than the five-year average from 2008-2012.[2]
However, collisions involving serious casualties are a cause for concern. Serious casualties[3] were up 7% over 2012 and the long-term trend is also upwards. The 294 serious casualties in 2013 were 29% higher than in 2004 and 28% higher than the 2008-2012 average. These increases are significant, are unlikely to be the result of statistical variation and we will need to review our strategic and operational approaches to road casualty reduction to ensure that our actions, and those of our partners, offer the best long term opportunities for reducing both the number and severity of injuries sustained by Devon's road users. The evidence bases for our activities and specifically those activities which may influence the severity of injuries - will be reviewed and, wherever necessary, adjustments made to our operational and long-term strategic plans.
Whilst overall casualty numbers for pedestrians and cyclists are decreasing over time, the most serious injuries are rising. Cyclist killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties totalled 33 in 2013, are up 27% on 2012 and up 43% on the 2009-12 five-year average. Pedestrian KSI totalled 45 in 2013, are up 7% on up 2012 and 25% on the five-year average.
Although casualties involving these vulnerable road users have increased it is important to note that cars were involved in 84% of all injury collisions on the Devon network and in 91% of those incidents which resulted in serious or fatal injuries.
A summary of key Devon figures, together with national comparisons, is presented in Appendix 4.
2. Background and national context
The Road Traffic Act (Section 39) places a duty on local authorities to make provision for road safety[4]. Local authorities must 'prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety', must 'carry out studies into accidents arising out of the use of vehicles' and 'in the light of those studies, take such measures as appear to the authority to be appropriate to prevent such accidents, including the dissemination of information and advice relating to the use of roads, the giving of practical training to road users or any class or description of road users '[5]
The Road Safety Team works with a broad evidence base, of which police collision data forms an important part. Our annual statistical review[6] is substantially based on police data and is complemented by national and international research, as well as studies undertaken locally to test the effectiveness of road safety interventions undertaken by Devon County Council and its partners.
In addition, intelligence reports at district level are produced to assist Devon and Cornwall Police deploy enforcement officers, and this year we will produce summary reports for market and coastal towns which will assist Devon officers and their partners to deliver road safety interventions that are, where possible, more tailored to local need.
National road casualty figures are produced by the Department for Transport, and a summary of the 2013 national outturn appears in the second half of Appendix 4. All classes of casualty were down in 2013, set against a small rise in vehicle miles travelled. As is the case in Devon, KSI injuries accounted for 13% of all casualties.
3. Devon Road Casualties and Collisions local performance
In 2011 DfT published the Strategic Framework for Road Safety[7], which removed national targets for road safety performance. It is left to individual highway authorities to track their own progress and a number of indicators[8] and comparison[9] figures are used by Devon to do this.
The number of Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) casualties recent rises in those seriously injured mean that the long term trend is shallowing and shows little overall improvement.
The rate of KSI casualties per million people the long-term trend is downwards but again shallow, and both the south west and national rates are lower.
Rate of KSI per billion vehicle miles this shows a positive long-term decline.
The estimated economic cost of collisions the rolling three year average shows an increase in 2010-12 at 149m per annum (compared with 115m for 2009-11). 2013 data will be calculated when the DfT updates its figures in September 2014.
4. Young people and children (0-16yrs)
The five-year trend for all severities of child casualty is encouraging and, at 184 recorded injuries, 2013 was 11% lower than 2012 and 10% lower than the five-year average. These decreases were recorded for all modes of travel[10] with the exception of walking. Child pedestrian injuries increased by 24% over 2012 and 13% over the average for the previous five years.
Increases were also recorded for child KSI casualties and although more children are injured as vehicle passengers, the most serious injuries occur when the child is a pedestrian. (The figures for pedestrians of all ages reflects this all severities of injury show a steady downward trend but those pedestrians who are killed or seriously injured [45 in 2013] is rising).
It is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of the distances covered by Devon's young people on the home to school journey. School run public transport passenger miles alone are estimated at around 55 million per annum. There will be several million additional miles journeyed in private vehicles, on foot and by bicycle. On the home to school journey, in 2013, there were:
97 children injured during school term dates[11], of which 52 were likely to have been on a home-to-school journey. Of the 52 travelling to or from school:
20 were passengers in vehicles 30 were pedestrians and 2 were cyclists.
Appendix 14 shows that there was no change in collisions between 2012 and 2013 and the five-year trend remains downwards.
5. The road user
Car occupants accounted for 67% of all Devon's road casualties. However, cars were involved in 91% of all injury collisions occurring on Devon's roads and 84% of the collisions involving serious injury. Car drivers therefore still offer the single most important opportunity to influence the overall safety of Devon's road users.
When examined by individual mode there are notable differences in Devon's road casualty outturn between the overall number of casualties[12] and those involving the most serious injuries[13].
Most major categories of road user saw decreases in casualty numbers, except for goods vehicles, with a significant rise for light goods vehicles. This is a class of vehicle that has been growing in recent years, reflecting changes in retail habits and goods delivery throughout the UK.
However, all major classes of road user experienced rises in the most serious injuries and more work will need to be done to address those factors than can be influenced. The current strategy includes influencing the skills and transport choices of the youngest and oldest drivers; educating younger drivers about the risks associated with an older vehicle pool; influencing the speed choices of all motorised road users; persuading and assisting companies to manage more effectively the safety of their fleets and the practices of their drivers, and providing training, information and support to more experienced motorcyclists riding larger capacity machines.
Whilst the emphasis will be on improving the standards of motorists for the collective benefit of all road users, we will also be working closely with our partners to ensure that those younger and more vulnerable also receive the skills and knowledge they need to help protect themselves. Whilst it is too early to say what effects a detailed review of the evidence will have on our long-term strategy and our shorter-term operational plans, the aim is to refresh the existing Devon Road Safety Strategy to ensure that it reflects the available evidence base and recognised best practice and also reflects the resources available.
6. Collision causes - including road user behaviours
There are 78 Contributory Factors that may be assigned to a collision by the police.[14] Of these, the three most common contributory factors for all severities in 2013 were:
(1) Driver/rider failed to look properly
(2) Driver/rider failed to judge path or speed
(3) Loss of control
These rankings are unchanged from 2012.
For the most serious injuries the three most common contributory factors were:
(1) Driver/rider failed to look properly
(2) Loss of control
(3) Driver/rider failed to judge path or speed
A failure to judge path or speed became more common in 2013 than in 2012.
Appendix 10 shows the 10 most common contributory factors in Devon.
Appendix 11 shows the 10 most common groups of factors, with the following as the three most common:
(1) Driver/rider error
(2) Injudicious action
(3) Behaviour or inexperience.
The contributory factors and factor groups consistently point to problems relating to road user error and treating these behavioural factors with an emphasis on errors, lapses and violations committed by motorists specifically - will remain the principal focus of our road casualty reduction programme.
7. The network and casualty distribution
The majority of collisions (89%) occurred on roads managed by Devon the remaining 11% were on Highways Agency (HA) roads. However, the highest collision rate (collisions per billion vehicle miles travelled) was on the HA network. Of those collisions which occurred on the Devon network the highest percentage (37%) occurred on A class roads, which, whilst only 7% of the network, accords with these roads carrying the highest volumes of traffic. A class roads also attract the highest percentage of KSI collisions (40%).
Devon's A roads are, for the purposes of risk rankings, broken down into 138 sections. B roads are broken down into 94 sections. These rankings provide essential information for front line officers including police officers and those maintaining the carriageway to help deploy resources to areas of greatest need. Also, as the number of collision clusters diminish following road safety treatments, our focus is shifting towards smaller sections of carriageway which may respond to improvements through light touch engineering and changes made during routine and reactive maintenance as a cost effective means of improving their collision performance.
Examples of these risk rankings based on 2013 data appear in Appendix 12.
These tables show the relative risk of roads in Devon as compared to other Devon roads based only on Devon data. In order to get a sense of their relative level of risk in a broader, national context, it is important to consider the European Road Assessment Programme's annual rankings.[15] In this context Devon has no roads that are ranked as having higher than medium risk. Those ranked as Medium are the A3213; two sections of the A3072 either side of the A377; and the A3121.
Casualties in each of Devon's districts, including their casualty rates per one million population, are presented in Appendix 13.
8. Conclusions and targeting
There is clearly a need to address those incidents in which road users suffer serious injuries. Devon's challenges in this regard are reflected elsewhere in the South West, with serious injuries up 17% across the Devon and Cornwall Police area. Consequently, there will be a coordinated response to this issue across our partners reflecting a refreshed Road Safety Strategy - following further detailed analysis of the factors that lie behind these types of collision.
The rises in serious incidents involving more vulnerable road users are also of concern and are again reflected in other South West highway authorities. Ensuring that the network is available and attractive to pedestrians and cyclists is essential to a broad range of agendas, not least health and economic growth. The skills and behaviours of motorised road users is central to protecting more vulnerable modes, and this is likely to be the principal focus of Devon and its partners in future. Cars are involved in 91% of incidents involving serious injury, even though the occupants of those cars accounted for 67% of all injuries.
Devon will continue to examine the entire highway network for collision clusters each year. However, if the trend away from clusters continues the focus for engineering interventions will shift towards small sections and routes, with road safety specialists working with colleagues in maintenance, transportation planning and development control to provide safety enhancements wherever opportunities present, and prioritised by the risk ranking of each individual section.
Devon County Council will also continue with its role as a leading partner in multi-agency interventions that will enable us to maintain front line engagement with some of Devon's most at-risk road users. These partnerships will include, but not be exclusive to, colleagues in neighbouring highway authorities, the Police and Fire and Rescue services. This will enable Devon to maintain a best practice 'safer system' approach to highway safety, treating the user, highway and mode of travel with a combination of interventions designed to have the most effective impact and the most efficient use of resource.
9. Appendices
| Appendix 1 | Devon Casualties 10 year trend |
| Appendix 2 | Fatal Casualties 10 year trend |
| Appendix 3 | Serious Casualties 10 year trend |
| Appendix 4 | Reported Road Casualties in Devon Summary and National Comparison |
| Appendix 5 | Performance indicators |
| Appendix 6 | Regional and National Comparisons |
| Appendix 7 | Child casualties by transport mode |
| Appendix 8 | Road User Casualties all severities |
| Appendix 9 | Road User Casualties Killed and Seriously Injured |
| Appendix 10 | Top 10 Contributory Factors |
| Appendix 11 | Top 10 Contributory Factor Groups |
| Appendix 12 | A and B class routes in the top risk quartile |
| Appendix 13 | Casualty numbers and rates for Devon Districts |
| Appendix 14 | Term time collisions involving young casualties |
Dave Black
Head of Planning Transportation and Environment
Electoral Divisions: All Divisions
Cabinet Member for Highway Management & Flood Prevention: Councillor Stuart Hughes
Strategic Director, Place: Heather Barnes
Local Government Act 1972: List of Background Papers
Contact for enquiries: Jeremy Phillips
Room No. Lucombe House, County Hall, Exeter. EX2 4QD
Tel No: (01392) 383000
| Background Paper | Date | File Reference | |
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p020914psc Road Traffic Collisions and Casualties 2013
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Appendix 1
Devon Casualties 10 year trend
Appendix 2
Fatal Casualties 10 year trend
Appendix 3
Serious Casualties 10 year trend
Appendix 4
Reported Road Casualties in Devon Summary and National Comparison
Appendix 5
Performance indicators
Primary indicators
KSI and Child KSI Rolling Three Year Averages
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Economic Cost rolling Three Year Averages
Appendix 6
Regional and National Comparisons
Appendix 7
Child casualties by transport mode
Appendix 8
Road User Casualties all severities
Appendix 9
Road User Casualties Killed and Seriously Injured
Appendix 10
Top 10 Contributory Factors
Appendix 11
Top 10 Contributory Factor Groups
Appendix 12
A and B class routes in the top risk quartile
A Roads
B Roads
Appendix 13
Casualty numbers and rates for Devon Districts[16]
Appendix 14
Term time collisions involving young casualties in 2013
[1] See Appendix 1
[2] See Appendix 2
[3] See Appendix 3
[4] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/39
[5] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/39
[6] http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/transportroads/roads/road_safety/collision-stats.htm
[7] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/8146/strategicframework.pdf
[8] See Appendix 5
[9] See Appendix 6
[10] See Appendix 7
[11] See Appendix 14
[12] See Appendix 8
[13] See Appendix 9
[14] http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/series/road-accidents-and-safety/stats19-road-accident-injury-statistics-report-form.pdf
[15] http://www.eurorap.org/media/186687/measuring_to_manage_2013_web.pdf
[16] The Poisson Significance in the tables refers to the level of confidence that the change in this case an increase in collisions may repeat in future years. Exeter shows a Poisson Significance of 4% - suggesting a 96% confidence level that the increase is not just due to random statistical fluctuation and instead occurred because of real-world changes.