Road casualty figures, just released by Transport for London, show Ealing has achieved the Mayor for London's target for cutting death and serious injury on our roads five years early.

Traffic Authorities were given the target of reducing road casualties by 40% (Killed or Seriously Injured) and 10% (Slight Casualties) over a 10 year period to 2010*.

The number of people killed and seriously injured in Ealing has significantly reduced from 287 in 2000 to 147 in 2004 (48.8%) and those slightly injured from 1614 to 1264 (21.7%). Between 2003 and 2004, the total number of casualties fell by 17.2%.   Fatalities and serious injuries fell by 25.8% and the number of people slightly injured fell by 16.1%.

Ealing's Cabinet member for Transport and Planning Councillor Ray Wall said, "Ealing places considerable importance on road safety and the hard work of Councillors and officers with our partners, such as Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police, is making a significant difference.   These figures prove that traffic calming and traffic enforcement saves lives. Despite the good news, one casualty is one too many and Ealing will continue to strive to eliminate injuries through its road safety strategy.�

The council's strategy has combined:

·   reducing the speed limit so that virtually all borough roads have a maximum limit of 30 mph, e.g. in Uxbridge Road, outside Ealing Hospital

·   implementing 20 mph zones, for example Cuckoo Estate, Hanwell  

·   constructing local safety engineering schemes, e.g. signalisation of the Greenford Avenue/Drayton Bridge Road junction

·   �Safer Routes to School' initiative, liaising with schools such as Montpelier Primary School and Petts Hill Primary School

·   an extensive programme of on-road cycle training for children and adults

·   enforcing traffic regulations with powers made available through the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003.   Ealing is one of six pilot authorities carrying out enforcement under the new legislation.   We are carrying out enforcement of a range of offences, e.g. failing to keep left, failing to follow a left or right turn instruction, turning right when prohibited, no entry restrictions as well as yellow box contraventions.  

· working with the London Safety Camera Partnership to discourage speeding and red light violations.   There are now 16 fixed speed cameras and seven red light cameras in the borough.  

A number of hotspots have also been targeted, including one of the most serious accident spots on Uxbridge Road outside Ealing Hospital.   The council has reduced the speed limit from 40 mph to 30 mph at this site and worked with the police to have a speed camera installed.

This has resulted in the number of people killed or seriously injured here falling from an average of three per year to an average of one per year.

Later this year the council will trial speed-activated signs, which can measure speeds and indicate speed limits and �slow down� messages, as part of its commitment to reducing even further deaths and injuries on our roads.

* from an average year in the base period 1994-1998.   The period set for achieving the target is between the years 2000 and 2010.

June 10, 2005