The Wokingham Borough Local Development Framework Core Strategy sets out the long term 'spatial vision' for the Borough until 2026. The core strategy identified four Strategic Development Locations (SDLs) to accommodate the majority of new homes (approximately 10,000 dwellings). A further circa 3,000 homes will be delivered through the local plan. These new developments will have significant impacts on the levels of traffic on our roads and the number of residents and children travelling around the network to access work, education, recreation and recreational facilities. This will increase the risks associated with road safety.
Road safety is a priority for the Government and for Wokingham Borough Council. The Department for Transport note that Great Britain has one of the leading road safety records in the world and the Council want to help maintain this record and build upon it. Even with some of the safest roads in the world Great Britain are still seeing a significant toll of avoidable fatalities and serious injury. This has a high economic cost to society and is a tragedy to all those directly affected.
Wokingham Borough Council has been very strong in reducing road casualty numbers over the previous ten years, achieving a 63% reduction in Killed or Seriously Injured (Department for Transport).
Wokingham Borough Councils Road Safety Plan aims to describe all the steps being taken by Wokingham Borough Council to improve road safety, demonstrates how successful the Borough has been in bettering the Government Road Safety Targets and details the current casualty statistics. It also provides details of interventions and activities available to assist Wokingham Borough Council in its aim to have an improving road safety record.
Within the Councils Local Transport Plan, safety plays a vital role. The Council is committed towards achieving further positive reductions in the number of people killed or seriously injured on the Boroughs roads.
Further to this Road Safety Plan a yearly investigation into accident patterns and trends is undertaken to enable the Council to target its activities and will include an action plan for the years Road Safety related activities. This is included as an appendix to the Road Safety Plan and will be updated annually.
Wokingham Borough Councils Road Safety objectives are:
- To reduce the risk of collisions and severity of collisions on Wokingham's roads
- To improve road safety awareness for all road users in Wokingham
- To continue to show a reduction in casualties
Wokingham Borough Council will achieve these objectives by working with road safety Stakeholders and Partners to maximise the effectiveness of resources in 7 themed areas associated with road safety, these are listed as:
1.promoting safer road use
2.providing skills and training
3. designing and maintaining safer roads
4.provide safer crossing facilities
5.influencing drivers
6.reducing vehicle speeds
7.providing for vulnerable road users