Agenda item

The report sets out the initial data analysis for road casualties in Kent in 2016. It also provides context related to a change to the police reporting process that may have affected data, provides insight into current KCC casualty reduction activity and identifies an emerging risk to future funding.

Tim Read (Growth, Environment and Transport) and Steve Horton (Casualty Reduction Manager) was in attendance for this item. 

(1)  Mr Balfour (Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste) introduced the report that set out the initial data analysis for road causalities in Kent 2016. It also provided context related to a change in the Police reporting process that might have affected data, provided insight into current KCC casualty reduction activity and identified an emerging risk to future funding.

(2)  Mr Read paid tribute to the team that had prepared and collated the data for the report and asked the Cabinet Committee to recognise the work undertaken. He also wished to place on record his thanks to the team.

(3)  Mr Horton advised that the road casualty data in Kent for 2016 had been finalised and was reported to the Department for Transport (DfT) in May for release to the public in July. Overall in Kent, casualties of all severity (fatal, serious and slight) had increased by 6%. National data would be released in late September 2017.

(4)  In 2016, Kent Police started to use a new reporting system called Collision Recording and Sharing (CRASH). Half the Police authorities in England already used CRASH and it had been identified that it might be recording a higher percentage of injuries than the previous process. Therefore comparisons with previous data might not be accurate. Further research was being carried out and findings were expected in October.

(5)  Mr Balfour said that 96% of collisions in 2016 could be attributed to behavioural factors. The Casualty Reduction Partnership (CRP), led by Kent Fire and Rescue Service, had initiated a review of the way in which partners collaborated and coordinated county wide activity. A campaign called “Licence to Kill” was being used to influence young people. The County Council had invited every school within Kent to participate in the activities. Members were advised that the next Kent Fire and Rescue Service presentation was on 8 November 2017 at Mote Park.

(6)  In relation to drink driving and drug driving statistics, the Police could only test for two drug types, which made it very difficult to measure the extent of drink/drug driving collisions.

(7)  Mr Horton said that the data captured by the Police identified both UK and non-UK vehicles. The proportion of collisions caused by non-UK vehicles was lower than the population as a whole residing within Kent.

(8)  Mr Balfour said that there was no policy that required a certain number of deaths for a fixed safety camera to be installed. The County Council worked in conjunction with the Safety Camera Partnership and the Police who liaised with Speed-watch groups to gather statistics.

(9)  Mr Balfour said a national funding model covered the cost of the speed awareness courses and costs associated with fixture and maintenance of the safety cameras.

(10)Mr Horton undertook to examine data relating to the number of Serious Injuries received in collisions that resulted in death over 30 days from the incident and to include this information in future reports if it offered any new intelligence.

(11)Resolved that the information on road casualties in Kent; 2016, the context of data reporting and ongoing work of the Highways, Transportation and Waste education and engineering teams be noted.