Safer Roads : Partnership : About the Partnership

Through partnership working, Safer Roads for Cumbria is determined to cut the number of killed and injury collisions (KSIs) on the county's roads in line with the Government's target of a 40 per cent reduction in KSIs by 2010.

Since it was established in 2004, Safer Roads for Cumbria has seen the number of KSIs within the county decrease, particularly with regards to serious injuries. However, the level of fatal accidents is not not declining, particularly within the 16-20 year old age group where multiple fatalities are a worrying norm.

Each of the partners has specific individual skills or experience that, while being unique to them, contributes to the overall road safety plan either as stand alone or joint, overlapping actions.

Overall policy and strategy is created by the Cumbria Road Safety Partnership Executive which comprises senior officers of partner organisations, the chairs of the Casualty Reduction and Safer Highways (CRASH) groups and chairs of the education, information and public relation sub-committees. The CRSP executive meets quarterly.

Information is bi-directional, travelling from the executive to CRASH groups and sub-committees which in turn feed information back to the executive.

CRASH groups operate very much at a local level, working in North, West and South Cumbria. The groups are a microcosm of Safer Roads for Cumbria having representatives of partner organisations sitting in on monthly meetings to discuss and solve problems that primarily affect local issues, but which may have a bearing on county-wide concerns.

Pooling Resources and Best Practice

For example, the Northern CRASH group is tackling issues with motorcyclists on the A686 Penrith to Hartside route and initiatives to tackle problems here percolate to other CRASH areas as part of a holistic overview of motorcycle safety campaigns. Engineering solutions used to solve problems in the south of the county could just as easily affect West Cumbria.

Sub committees deal with specific areas which are self explanatory. Education deals with direct action initiatives such as cycling proficiency, better ways to school, where road safety officers and others deliver hands on training. The sub-committee meets to discuss activities and to ensure that there is no duplication of interests, that resources are pooled and best practice shared.

The PR committee meets to ensure that all possible newsworthy leads are explored and acted upon; information relating to individual campaigns is shared to avoid conflict of interests and joint campaigns initiated.

The Fire and Rescue Service's Road Awareness Training (RAT) days in senior schools tackle the same target audience as Cumbria Safety Camera's young driver Got A Car 2 Die 4 campaign and the latter's leaflets and mobile phone holders are distributed during RAT sessions. The county council, Capita and Amey work together on a series of winter road shows, providing advice to the general public on safe driving in bad winter weather.

The information and data sub committee meets to analyse the substantial amount of data which forms the basis for the majority of activities carried out under the Safer Roads for Cumbria banner. Records from collisions and casualties, traffic surveys and much more are collated and analysed. The results, which are shared between all partners, determine whether education, engineering or enforcement is requires to solve situations which have been highlighted as areas of concern.

CRASH groups and sub committees are not mutually exclusive. Some partners can - and do - sit on all CRASH groups, one or two sub committees and the executive to ensure full integration.