Safety of Road Users Generally Especially Vulnerable Road Users

Table of Contents

Background of the Research1

Subject Of Interest2

Research Questions3

Research Methods3

Relevance Of The Proposed Research4

References6

Safety of Road Users Generally Especially Vulnerable Road Users

Background of the Research

Pedestrians and cyclists, referred to collectively as 'vulnerable road users' (VRUs), account for approximately one in four of all road deaths in the European Union (EU). According to accident statistics over 6000 pedestrians are killed annually on roads in the EU. In the United Kingdom, 71 per cent of pedestrian fatalities occurred at impact speeds under 40 mile/h and 85 per cent of fatalities were injured by the front of the vehicle. These statistics indicate the scale of the VRU problem and the proportion of casualties to which an effective warning and/or active safety system may offer benefit (McCarthy 2002).

The Supporting People programme is essential to ensure vulnerable people become and remain independent. The aim is to prevent those problems that lead to hospitalisation, institutional care or homelessness by effective early support (Broggi et.al 2000). The funding is a local government grant from the ODPM, paid to and administered by 150 lead authorities, who run the Supporting People programme through partnerships with local housing and social services, health and probation services.

Growth in some sectors has been particularly marked: - The teenage pregnancy programme, started in June 1999, now has 2,500 places funded through Supporting People; - In excess of 50,000 homeless and vulnerable people are now being helped through this funding stream; - And progress in the Department of Health's Valuing People programme to increase opportunities for independent living for people with learning difficulties is now supported by almost 4,500 units of supported accommodation for this client group (McCarthy et.al 2004).

The focus is now to ensure that this funding is being used in a way that best meets the needs of service users and provides value for money. Authorities have now started service by service reviews of quality, value for money, and strategic relevance. In addition, and in order to make sure that vulnerable people continue to receive the services they need, we have set up an independent review to gauge the true picture of how the programme is being utilized to ensure spending is properly planned and services deliver equity, efficiency and value for money. The review will inform decisions about 2004-05 and 2005-06 Supporting People allocations (Howard et.al 2000). The Independent Review will be undertaken by Eugene Sullivan, Head of Public Sector Services at RSM Robson Rhodes.

Subject Of Interest

It is rare during an RSA (road safety audit) to find complete facilitation for pedestrian needs. Because pedestrians are among the most vulnerable road users, RSA teams need to emphasize pedestrian safety while considering the safety of drivers, passengers, and other road users. According to the Highways Agency guidelines, an RSA or pedestrian RSA involves the following eight steps:

identify a project or existing road,

select a multidisciplinary team,

conduct a startup meeting to exchange information,

perform field reviews under various conditions,

conduct an RSA analysis ...