Julia welcomes commitment to road safety

North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan is welcoming a Government decision to put a focus on improving safety on rural roads.

Roads Minister Jesse Norman has announced a new two-year action plan will be developed to address four priority groups, including rural road users.

The extent of concern about the issue in North Yorkshire is illustrated by a survey for the Police and Crime Commissioner which found found eight in ten people were concerned about road safety in the county, while more than half believed police should use more safety camera vans.

Progress is being made – the number of fatalities on the county’s roads has reduced by around a third since 2011 when safety camera vans were first piloted.

Researchers from Newcastle University examined their direct impact and found they had led to a reduction in deaths, with as many as eight lives being saved between 2013 and 2016 by their use.

Julia has recently invested in additional vehicles fitted with the latest technology meaning there are now 12 in the county supporting the efforts to make North Yorkshire’s roads safer.

Julia Mulligan, the elected Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, said:

“Improving the safety of North Yorkshire’s roads has been one of my priorities over the past five years and remains one of my priorities today as it is of clear concern to the public.

“North Yorkshire continues to have one of the highest accident rates in the country, but we have been making good progress at reducing the number of deaths and injuries on our roads. The camera safety vans have been instrumental in this, with independent assessments indicating that at least 8 lives have been saved. Any additional government support to reduce this by examining the unique challenges faced for road safety in rural areas is welcome.

“I also aim to ensure North Yorkshire Police have the focus, resources and technology to allow them to tackle these challenges – from the use of the road network by criminals, speeding and mobile phone use, to drink driving. However, we should be in no doubt that policing the 6,000 miles of North Yorkshire’s often remote and rural roads is a huge and challenging job.”