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Coroner orders council to act over parked lorries after cyclist killed
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Simon Mason
Nov 10, 2023, 10:51:53 AM11/10/23
to
A coroner has ordered Hertfordshire County Council to take action over lorries parked for loading and unloading on a stretch of road near Tring after a cyclist sustained fatal injuries when he crashed into the back of an HGV whose driver had stopped there ahead of it being unloaded.
David Andrews, aged 63 and from Berkhamsted, died in St George’s Hospital, south London, the day after the crash which happened at Cow Roast on the A4251 Tring Road on 11 July last year, reports HertsLive (link is external).
Witnesses told a coroner’s inquest earlier this year that allowing HGVs to be loaded and unloaded at the location where the fatal crash took place was “an accident waiting to happen,” while a forensic collision investigator said that the practice constituted an “ongoing risk.”
After recording a conclusion of death due to a road traffic collision at the inquest in July, assistant coroner Jacques Howell sent Hertfordshire County Council, which is the highways authority responsible for the stretch of road in question, a Prevention of Future Deaths Report (link is external).
“During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern,” he wrote.
“In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.”
The specific matter of concern he raised was “that on this particular stretch of road heavy goods vehicles are permitted to stop in order to unload, thereby effectively blocking the southbound carriageway.”
The report highlighted evidence presented to the inquest regarding the characteristics of road, as well as lorry drivers being permitted to park there for loading and unloading of goods to nearby commercial premises.
“At the location where the road traffic collision occurred, the road is single carriageway road, with one lane serving each direction,” the coroner noted in the report.
“The carriageway is 7 metres wide with each lane measuring approximately 3.1 metres in width with a double solid white line system with a gap between the lines of approximately 0.8 metres.
“Adjacent to the southbound lane is a grass verge, this gives way to an area of hard standing approximately 0.9 metres in width. A footpath is adjacent to the northbound lane.
“The speed limit at this point is 40mph, there are no parking restrictions and it is not a designated clearway.
“Photographs taken of the scene show that notwithstanding the heavy goods vehicle had stopped as far to the left as possible, the vehicle still took up nearly all of the southbound carriageway which bends to the right at this point,” the report continued.
“Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as ‘ … an accident waiting to happen’.
“Evidence was also received from the Forensic Collision Investigator, who gave evidence that in his view the current ability for heavy goods vehicles to lawfully stop outside the commercial premises to unload represents an ongoing risk.”
A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council, quoted on HertsLive, said that the local authority had responded to the report, as it is required by law to do, and that the council is planning to implement a ban.
“In light of the issues highlighted by the coroner’s report, we are looking to introduce a ban on lorries loading and unloading on this stretch of the A4251,” the spokesperson said.
“We hope to begin the statutory and consultation processes needed to introduce these restrictions in the near future,” they added.
https://road.cc/content/news/council-ordered-act-over-parked-hgvs-after-cyclist-killed-305025
David Andrews, aged 63 and from Berkhamsted, died in St George’s Hospital, south London, the day after the crash which happened at Cow Roast on the A4251 Tring Road on 11 July last year, reports HertsLive (link is external).
Witnesses told a coroner’s inquest earlier this year that allowing HGVs to be loaded and unloaded at the location where the fatal crash took place was “an accident waiting to happen,” while a forensic collision investigator said that the practice constituted an “ongoing risk.”
After recording a conclusion of death due to a road traffic collision at the inquest in July, assistant coroner Jacques Howell sent Hertfordshire County Council, which is the highways authority responsible for the stretch of road in question, a Prevention of Future Deaths Report (link is external).
“During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern,” he wrote.
“In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.”
The specific matter of concern he raised was “that on this particular stretch of road heavy goods vehicles are permitted to stop in order to unload, thereby effectively blocking the southbound carriageway.”
The report highlighted evidence presented to the inquest regarding the characteristics of road, as well as lorry drivers being permitted to park there for loading and unloading of goods to nearby commercial premises.
“At the location where the road traffic collision occurred, the road is single carriageway road, with one lane serving each direction,” the coroner noted in the report.
“The carriageway is 7 metres wide with each lane measuring approximately 3.1 metres in width with a double solid white line system with a gap between the lines of approximately 0.8 metres.
“Adjacent to the southbound lane is a grass verge, this gives way to an area of hard standing approximately 0.9 metres in width. A footpath is adjacent to the northbound lane.
“The speed limit at this point is 40mph, there are no parking restrictions and it is not a designated clearway.
“Photographs taken of the scene show that notwithstanding the heavy goods vehicle had stopped as far to the left as possible, the vehicle still took up nearly all of the southbound carriageway which bends to the right at this point,” the report continued.
“Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as ‘ … an accident waiting to happen’.
“Evidence was also received from the Forensic Collision Investigator, who gave evidence that in his view the current ability for heavy goods vehicles to lawfully stop outside the commercial premises to unload represents an ongoing risk.”
A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council, quoted on HertsLive, said that the local authority had responded to the report, as it is required by law to do, and that the council is planning to implement a ban.
“In light of the issues highlighted by the coroner’s report, we are looking to introduce a ban on lorries loading and unloading on this stretch of the A4251,” the spokesperson said.
“We hope to begin the statutory and consultation processes needed to introduce these restrictions in the near future,” they added.
https://road.cc/content/news/council-ordered-act-over-parked-hgvs-after-cyclist-killed-305025
JNugent
Nov 10, 2023, 11:28:00 AM11/10/23
to
On 10/11/2023 03:51 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
> A coroner has ordered Hertfordshire County Council to take action over lorries parked for loading and unloading on a stretch of road near Tring after a cyclist sustained fatal injuries when he crashed into the back of an HGV whose driver had stopped there ahead of it being unloaded.
When did coroners gain this power to issue orders to elected bodies such
> A coroner has ordered Hertfordshire County Council to take action over lorries parked for loading and unloading on a stretch of road near Tring after a cyclist sustained fatal injuries when he crashed into the back of an HGV whose driver had stopped there ahead of it being unloaded.
as county councils?
And was the unfortunate victim not looking where he was going? How ever
did he miss seeing a *stationary* *lorry*?
> David Andrews, aged 63 and from Berkhamsted, died in St George’s Hospital, south London, the day after the crash which happened at Cow Roast on the A4251 Tring Road on 11 July last year, reports HertsLive (link is external).
> Witnesses told a coroner’s inquest earlier this year that allowing HGVs to be loaded and unloaded at the location where the fatal crash took place was “an accident waiting to happen,” while a forensic collision investigator said that the practice constituted an “ongoing risk.”
are bound, what will happen IF HCC decides to accede to the coroner's
*recommendation*?
The business located there will rapidly go out of business, that's what.
>
> After recording a conclusion of death due to a road traffic collision at the inquest in July, assistant coroner Jacques Howell sent Hertfordshire County Council, which is the highways authority responsible for the stretch of road in question, a Prevention of Future Deaths Report (link is external).
Is the report a lawful order, or something else?
> After recording a conclusion of death due to a road traffic collision at the inquest in July, assistant coroner Jacques Howell sent Hertfordshire County Council, which is the highways authority responsible for the stretch of road in question, a Prevention of Future Deaths Report (link is external).
I ask because as we both know, road.cc is staffed by semi-literate
ignoramuses / ignorami (I include the Latin plural noun form only
because it is well-known that you are an accomplished Classics scholar
and are pained by language faux-pas).
>
> “During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern,” he wrote.
> “In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.”
> The specific matter of concern he raised was “that on this particular stretch of road heavy goods vehicles are permitted to stop in order to unload, thereby effectively blocking the southbound carriageway.”
> The report highlighted evidence presented to the inquest regarding the characteristics of road, as well as lorry drivers being permitted to park there for loading and unloading of goods to nearby commercial premises.
>
There's the problem... Perhaps the driver should park the lorry a mile
> “During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern,” he wrote.
> “In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.”
> The specific matter of concern he raised was “that on this particular stretch of road heavy goods vehicles are permitted to stop in order to unload, thereby effectively blocking the southbound carriageway.”
> The report highlighted evidence presented to the inquest regarding the characteristics of road, as well as lorry drivers being permitted to park there for loading and unloading of goods to nearby commercial premises.
>
or two away and carry the goods there by hand, even if they consist of
half a ton of building bricks?
> “At the location where the road traffic collision occurred, the road is single carriageway road, with one lane serving each direction,” the coroner noted in the report.
> “The carriageway is 7 metres wide with each lane measuring approximately 3.1 metres in width with a double solid white line system with a gap between the lines of approximately 0.8 metres.
The standard width for a traffic lane is twelve feet. The lanes there
appear to be 10.15' wide (10feet, 1.8 inches). That *is* narrow.
But what that has to do with someone cycling at speed into the rear of a
stationary lorry is far from clear, as I am sure you agree. It has
nothing to do with the width of the road, does it?
>
> “Adjacent to the southbound lane is a grass verge, this gives way to an area of hard standing approximately 0.9 metres in width. A footpath is adjacent to the northbound lane.
> “The speed limit at this point is 40mph, there are no parking restrictions and it is not a designated clearway.
"no parking restrictions and not a ... clearway".
> “Adjacent to the southbound lane is a grass verge, this gives way to an area of hard standing approximately 0.9 metres in width. A footpath is adjacent to the northbound lane.
> “The speed limit at this point is 40mph, there are no parking restrictions and it is not a designated clearway.
>
> “Photographs taken of the scene show that notwithstanding the heavy goods vehicle had stopped as far to the left as possible, the vehicle still took up nearly all of the southbound carriageway which bends to the right at this point,” the report continued.
> “Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as ‘ … an accident waiting to happen’.
> “Evidence was also received from the Forensic Collision Investigator, who gave evidence that in his view the current ability for heavy goods vehicles to lawfully stop outside the commercial premises to unload represents an ongoing risk.”
> A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council, quoted on HertsLive, said that the local authority had responded to the report, as it is required by law to do, and that the council is planning to implement a ban.
Are they also going to assist the business, financially and otherwise,
> “Photographs taken of the scene show that notwithstanding the heavy goods vehicle had stopped as far to the left as possible, the vehicle still took up nearly all of the southbound carriageway which bends to the right at this point,” the report continued.
> “Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as ‘ … an accident waiting to happen’.
> “Evidence was also received from the Forensic Collision Investigator, who gave evidence that in his view the current ability for heavy goods vehicles to lawfully stop outside the commercial premises to unload represents an ongoing risk.”
> A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council, quoted on HertsLive, said that the local authority had responded to the report, as it is required by law to do, and that the council is planning to implement a ban.
to relocate to alternative premises with better delivery access?
> “In light of the issues highlighted by the coroner’s report, we are looking to introduce a ban on lorries loading and unloading on this stretch of the A4251,” the spokesperson said.
road.cc, an *order*?
> “We hope to begin the statutory and consultation processes needed to introduce these restrictions in the near future,” they added.
After all, it doesn't matter where a lorry stops to deliver goods,
someone can run into the back of it while it is stationary, can't they?
The only way to prevent that would be to completely ban lorries from
ever stopping on a highway anywhere at all, including red traffic
lights. A stationary lorry will always create a running-into-its-rear
risk no matter where it is, after all, hmmm?
> https://road.cc/content/news/council-ordered-act-over-parked-hgvs-after-cyclist-killed-305025
Spike
Nov 10, 2023, 11:40:18 AM11/10/23
to
One might have to ask why the cyclist failed to see an HGV parked so as to
almost block the lane.
This cyclist didn’t see a parked car, in good daylight with no weather
problems. He just wasn’t looking, as is clear from the video:
<https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9OrKLGEOVRA>
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> A coroner has ordered Hertfordshire County Council to take action over
> lorries parked for loading and unloading on a stretch of road near Tring
> after a cyclist sustained fatal injuries when he crashed into the back of
> an HGV whose driver had stopped there ahead of it being unloaded.
> https://road.cc/content/news/council-ordered-act-over-parked-hgvs-after-cyclist-killed-305025
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 10, 2023, 12:08:36 PM11/10/23
to
Secret_squirrel | 2 hours ago
1 like
But will the restrictions be enforced.....?
Judging from the description and the state of the photos its here abouts:
https://cdn.road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main_width/public/Screenshot%202023-11-10%20at%2014.26.31.png
1 like
But will the restrictions be enforced.....?
Judging from the description and the state of the photos its here abouts:
https://cdn.road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main_width/public/Screenshot%202023-11-10%20at%2014.26.31.png
Simon Mason
Nov 10, 2023, 12:11:07 PM11/10/23
to
“In light of the issues highlighted by the coroner’s report, we are looking to introduce a ban on lorries loading and unloading on this stretch of the A4251,” the spokesperson said. ENDS
Well done - that wasn't too hard, was it?
Spike
Nov 10, 2023, 12:58:31 PM11/10/23
to
going…
<https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PR0YV435Dn0>
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 10, 2023, 1:08:51 PM11/10/23
to
Flâneur | 18 min ago
0 likes
It's already illegal to park (or stop) on a road with double white lines FFS
https://www.southyorks.police.uk/find-out/crime-prevention-advice/road-safety/parking-on-double-white-lines/
Why can't the relevant authorities know this and enforce the law?
0 likes
It's already illegal to park (or stop) on a road with double white lines FFS
https://www.southyorks.police.uk/find-out/crime-prevention-advice/road-safety/parking-on-double-white-lines/
Why can't the relevant authorities know this and enforce the law?
JNugent
Nov 10, 2023, 3:08:44 PM11/10/23
to
There were no such restrictions at the relevant location (according to
road.cc, quoting the police, at least).
Simon Mason
Nov 10, 2023, 3:09:50 PM11/10/23
to
chrisonatrike replied to eburtthebike | 1 hour ago
0 likes
Dont worry eburtthebike! They've been on it for (checks calendar) a year, since the Road Safety Investigation Board was launched (link is external) ... oh, they've still not actually started?
Oh well, perhaps this will also come up in their review of road law, which ... oh. Sorry.
0 likes
Dont worry eburtthebike! They've been on it for (checks calendar) a year, since the Road Safety Investigation Board was launched (link is external) ... oh, they've still not actually started?
Oh well, perhaps this will also come up in their review of road law, which ... oh. Sorry.
JNugent
Nov 11, 2023, 7:38:03 AM11/11/23
to
On 10/11/2023 04:40 pm, Spike wrote:
>
> One might have to ask why the cyclist failed to see an HGV parked so as to
> almost block the lane.
>
> This cyclist didn’t see a parked car, in good daylight with no weather
> problems. He just wasn’t looking, as is clear from the video:
>
> <https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9OrKLGEOVRA>
Ouch!
>
> One might have to ask why the cyclist failed to see an HGV parked so as to
> almost block the lane.
>
> This cyclist didn’t see a parked car, in good daylight with no weather
> problems. He just wasn’t looking, as is clear from the video:
>
> <https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9OrKLGEOVRA>
No matter how many times you see that, it always shocks (and one can
almost feel the pain... of the vehicle's owner).
Still, the chav's fridge-freezer insurance probably covered the damage.
Assuming the chav on the chav-bike accepted liability, of course.
Spike
Nov 11, 2023, 7:48:06 AM11/11/23
to
JNugent <jnu...@mail.com> wrote:
> On 10/11/2023 04:40 pm, Spike wrote:
>>
>> One might have to ask why the cyclist failed to see an HGV parked so as to
>> almost block the lane.
>>
>> This cyclist didn’t see a parked car, in good daylight with no weather
>> problems. He just wasn’t looking, as is clear from the video:
>>
>> <https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9OrKLGEOVRA>
>
> Ouch!
>
> No matter how many times you see that, it always shocks (and one can
> almost feel the pain... of the vehicle's owner).
>
> Still, the chav's fridge-freezer insurance probably covered the damage.
> Assuming the chav on the chav-bike accepted liability, of course.
Yes, it’s a salutary lesson in how cyclists simply don’t look where they
> On 10/11/2023 04:40 pm, Spike wrote:
>>
>> One might have to ask why the cyclist failed to see an HGV parked so as to
>> almost block the lane.
>>
>> This cyclist didn’t see a parked car, in good daylight with no weather
>> problems. He just wasn’t looking, as is clear from the video:
>>
>> <https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9OrKLGEOVRA>
>
> Ouch!
>
> No matter how many times you see that, it always shocks (and one can
> almost feel the pain... of the vehicle's owner).
>
> Still, the chav's fridge-freezer insurance probably covered the damage.
> Assuming the chav on the chav-bike accepted liability, of course.
are going, and no amount of legislation will stop them crashing into very
hard things that they just haven’t seen.
>> Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> A coroner has ordered Hertfordshire County Council to take action over
>>> lorries parked for loading and unloading on a stretch of road near Tring
>>> after a cyclist sustained fatal injuries when he crashed into the back of
>>> an HGV whose driver had stopped there ahead of it being unloaded.
>>
>> […]
>>
>>> https://road.cc/content/news/council-ordered-act-over-parked-hgvs-after-cyclist-killed-305025
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 11, 2023, 8:48:44 AM11/11/23
to
QUOTE: eburtthebike | 19 hours ago
3 likes
We need a complete new system for road safety, by analysing the risk before someone is killed, not after. ENDS
A coroner deciding that a road should be NO PARKING *IS* a new system!
3 likes
We need a complete new system for road safety, by analysing the risk before someone is killed, not after. ENDS
A coroner deciding that a road should be NO PARKING *IS* a new system!
Spike
Nov 11, 2023, 10:36:52 AM11/11/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: eburtthebike | 19 hours ago
> 3 likes
> We need a complete new system for road safety, by analysing the risk
> before someone is killed, not after. ENDS
That could help with the 16% of cyclists that are killed in single-vehicle
> QUOTE: eburtthebike | 19 hours ago
> 3 likes
> We need a complete new system for road safety, by analysing the risk
> before someone is killed, not after. ENDS
accidents.
> A coroner deciding that a road should be NO PARKING *IS* a new system!
too far…
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 11, 2023, 12:02:03 PM11/11/23
to
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH
Mr Andrews was a keen cyclist and had been interested in cycling for about 10 years. On 11 July 2022, he was cycling south along the A4251, Tring Road, where he collided with a stationary heavy good vehicle which had stopped outside commercial premises waiting to unload. Sadly, he suffered significant traumatic injuries from which he did not recover, and he died on 12 July 2022 at St George’s Hospital, London.
The inquest received evidence that:
· At the location where the road traffic collision occurred, the road is single carriageway road, with one lane serving each direction. The carriageway is 7 metres wide with each lane measuring approximately 3.1 metres in width with a
double solid white line system with a gap between the lines of approximately 0.8 metres. Adjacent to the southbound lane is a grass verge, this gives way to an area of hard standing approximately 0.9 metres in width. A footpath is adjacent to the northbound lane.
· The speed limit at this point is 40mph, there are no parking restrictions and it is not a designated clearway.
· Photographs taken of the scene show that notwithstanding the heavy goods vehicle had stopped as far to the left as possible, the vehicle still took up nearly all of the southbound carriageway which bends to the right at this point.
· Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as “…an accident waiting to happen.”
· Evidence was also received from the Forensic Collision Investigator, who gave evidence that in his view the current ability for heavy goods vehicles to lawfully stop outside the commercial premises to unload represents an ongoing risk.
ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN
In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisation have the power to take such action.
7 YOUR RESPONSE
You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report, namely by 18 October 2023. I, the coroner, may extend the period.
Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed
https://www.judiciary.uk/prevention-of-future-death-reports/david-andrews-prevention-of-future-deaths-report/
Mr Andrews was a keen cyclist and had been interested in cycling for about 10 years. On 11 July 2022, he was cycling south along the A4251, Tring Road, where he collided with a stationary heavy good vehicle which had stopped outside commercial premises waiting to unload. Sadly, he suffered significant traumatic injuries from which he did not recover, and he died on 12 July 2022 at St George’s Hospital, London.
The inquest received evidence that:
· At the location where the road traffic collision occurred, the road is single carriageway road, with one lane serving each direction. The carriageway is 7 metres wide with each lane measuring approximately 3.1 metres in width with a
double solid white line system with a gap between the lines of approximately 0.8 metres. Adjacent to the southbound lane is a grass verge, this gives way to an area of hard standing approximately 0.9 metres in width. A footpath is adjacent to the northbound lane.
· The speed limit at this point is 40mph, there are no parking restrictions and it is not a designated clearway.
· Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as “…an accident waiting to happen.”
· Evidence was also received from the Forensic Collision Investigator, who gave evidence that in his view the current ability for heavy goods vehicles to lawfully stop outside the commercial premises to unload represents an ongoing risk.
ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN
In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisation have the power to take such action.
7 YOUR RESPONSE
You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report, namely by 18 October 2023. I, the coroner, may extend the period.
Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed
https://www.judiciary.uk/prevention-of-future-death-reports/david-andrews-prevention-of-future-deaths-report/
Spike
Nov 11, 2023, 12:15:09 PM11/11/23
to
The article below carefully avoids any mention of why the cyclist cycled
into the back of the lorry.
As the lorry was parked, i.e. not moving, the only possible conclusion is
that the cyclist cycled into the back of the lorry, not having been aware
of its presence at least until far to late to take avoiding action, such as
braking to a controlled stop or swerving round it.
None of this as addressed, mentioned, or even alluded to in the report. One
might think that this not satisfactory. People are not supposed to walk,
wheel, cycle, or drive into stationary objects.
There is no also no mention of a safety helmet.
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 11, 2023, 12:19:00 PM11/11/23
to
COPIES and PUBLICATION
I have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested Persons:
1. The family of Mr Andrews.
I am also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your response.
The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your response, about the release or the publication of your response by the Chief Coroner.
I have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested Persons:
1. The family of Mr Andrews.
I am also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your response.
The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your response, about the release or the publication of your response by the Chief Coroner.
Spike
Nov 11, 2023, 2:28:14 PM11/11/23
to
Ping JNugent
Not knowing much at all about Coroner’s Reports, are they available for
public scrutiny, preferably online? Or are they stuck in some Victorian
time-warp of ‘the peasants don’t need to know’, and hence difficult to get?
Spike
Not knowing much at all about Coroner’s Reports, are they available for
public scrutiny, preferably online? Or are they stuck in some Victorian
time-warp of ‘the peasants don’t need to know’, and hence difficult to get?
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 11, 2023, 3:02:52 PM11/11/23
to
QUOTE:
CORONER’S CONCERNS
During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.
The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows.
1. That on this particular stretch of road heavy goods vehicles are permitted to stop in order to unload, thereby effectively blocking the southbound carriageway. ENDS
AND:
CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS
I make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and Regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013.
CORONER’S CONCERNS
During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.
The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows.
1. That on this particular stretch of road heavy goods vehicles are permitted to stop in order to unload, thereby effectively blocking the southbound carriageway. ENDS
AND:
CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS
I make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and Regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013.
JNugent
Nov 12, 2023, 7:38:59 AM11/12/23
to
Had the driver covered it with an invisibility cloak?
I had supposed that they were only fiction.
Note: "...there are no parking restrictions and it is not a designated
clearway...".
JNugent
Nov 12, 2023, 8:04:09 AM11/12/23
to
may be obtained by any person with an interest in the case (if it not
were not so, newspapers could never quote them, for instance).
Of course, I am not a lawyer and my opinion has to be perceived on that
basis.
Perhaps the opinion of a real lawyer (maybe a renaissance man with
various strings to his bow, lawyer, High Court Judge, PhD in Janitorial
Studies) can elucidate.
[Oops! Four syllables! Apologies. Duh... another four...]
Simon Mason
Nov 12, 2023, 8:47:29 AM11/12/23
to
JNugent
Nov 12, 2023, 9:59:39 AM11/12/23
to
On 12/11/2023 01:47 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
> On Friday, November 10, 2023 at 6:08:51 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
>> Flâneur | 18 min ago
> On Friday, November 10, 2023 at 6:08:51 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
>> Flâneur | 18 min ago
>> It's already illegal to park (or stop) on a road with double white lines FFS
>> https://www.southyorks.police.uk/find-out/crime-prevention-advice/road-safety/parking-on-double-white-lines/
>> Why can't the relevant authorities know this and enforce the law?
> Here is the relevant law:
> https://cdn.road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main_width/public/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2008.08.30.png
Here is the (far more) relevant FACT:
>> https://www.southyorks.police.uk/find-out/crime-prevention-advice/road-safety/parking-on-double-white-lines/
>> Why can't the relevant authorities know this and enforce the law?
> Here is the relevant law:
> https://cdn.road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main_width/public/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2008.08.30.png
"...there are no parking restrictions and it is not a designated
clearway...".
Simon Mason
Nov 12, 2023, 11:27:16 AM11/12/23
to
ktache | 1 day ago
4 likes
My thoughts are with the family and friends of David.
============================================
A sensible comment at last.
4 likes
My thoughts are with the family and friends of David.
============================================
A sensible comment at last.
Spike
Nov 12, 2023, 11:58:48 AM11/12/23
to
--
Spike
Spike
Nov 12, 2023, 11:58:48 AM11/12/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> quoted:
waited until he had put up a further TEN posts and only then responded to
someone else’s expression of sympathy.
--
Spike
> ktache | 1 day ago
> 4 likes
>
> My thoughts are with the family and friends of David.
And one that Simon Mason could have made in his first post, but didn’t - he
> 4 likes
>
> My thoughts are with the family and friends of David.
waited until he had put up a further TEN posts and only then responded to
someone else’s expression of sympathy.
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 12, 2023, 3:28:24 PM11/12/23
to
QUOTE: Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed it is looking into a ban on lorries loading and unloading near where the incident took place.ENDS
*******AH - IT'S THE COUNCIL THAT WILL IMPOSE THE BAN - NOT THE CORONER. *******
A coroner says the council must act after the death of a cyclist in Cow Roast near Tring.
Jacques Howell, Herts county’s assistant coroner, has said road users could be at risk because heavy goods vehicles are allowed to stop and unload on the A4251 Tring Road.
Berkhamsted cyclist David Andrews, aged 63, died at St George’s Hospital in London on July 12, 2022 after a crash on the route the day before.
Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed it is looking into a ban on lorries loading and unloading near where the incident took place.
After an inquest which took place earlier this year, the assistant coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report.
“The inquest received evidence that … heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as ‘an accident waiting to happen’,” Mr Howell wrote.
“Evidence was also received from the forensic collision investigator, who gave evidence that in his view the current ability for heavy goods vehicles to lawfully stop outside the commercial premises to unload represents an ongoing risk.”
He added: “Mr Andrews was a keen cyclist and had been interested in cycling for about 10 years.
“On July 11, 2022, he was cycling south along the A4251, Tring Road, where he collided with a stationary heavy goods vehicle which had stopped outside commercial premises waiting to unload.
“Sadly, he suffered significant traumatic injuries from which he did not recover, and he died on July 12, 2022 at St George’s Hospital.”
According to the report, the stationary HGV involved was stopped “as far to the left as possible”, but it still took up “nearly all of the southbound carriageway, which bends to the right at this point”.
The assistant coroner said: “In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisation have the power to take such action.”
Herts Council confirmed it has responded to Mr Howell, as is its duty.
A spokesperson said: “In light of the issues highlighted by the coroner’s report, we’re looking to introduce a ban on lorries loading and unloading on this stretch of the A4251.
“We hope to begin the statutory and consultation processes needed to introduce these restrictions in the near future.”
https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/politics/council/coroner-says-council-must-act-after-death-of-a-cyclist-in-cow-roast-near-tring-4405077
*******AH - IT'S THE COUNCIL THAT WILL IMPOSE THE BAN - NOT THE CORONER. *******
A coroner says the council must act after the death of a cyclist in Cow Roast near Tring.
Jacques Howell, Herts county’s assistant coroner, has said road users could be at risk because heavy goods vehicles are allowed to stop and unload on the A4251 Tring Road.
Berkhamsted cyclist David Andrews, aged 63, died at St George’s Hospital in London on July 12, 2022 after a crash on the route the day before.
Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed it is looking into a ban on lorries loading and unloading near where the incident took place.
After an inquest which took place earlier this year, the assistant coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report.
“The inquest received evidence that … heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as ‘an accident waiting to happen’,” Mr Howell wrote.
“Evidence was also received from the forensic collision investigator, who gave evidence that in his view the current ability for heavy goods vehicles to lawfully stop outside the commercial premises to unload represents an ongoing risk.”
He added: “Mr Andrews was a keen cyclist and had been interested in cycling for about 10 years.
“On July 11, 2022, he was cycling south along the A4251, Tring Road, where he collided with a stationary heavy goods vehicle which had stopped outside commercial premises waiting to unload.
“Sadly, he suffered significant traumatic injuries from which he did not recover, and he died on July 12, 2022 at St George’s Hospital.”
According to the report, the stationary HGV involved was stopped “as far to the left as possible”, but it still took up “nearly all of the southbound carriageway, which bends to the right at this point”.
The assistant coroner said: “In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisation have the power to take such action.”
Herts Council confirmed it has responded to Mr Howell, as is its duty.
A spokesperson said: “In light of the issues highlighted by the coroner’s report, we’re looking to introduce a ban on lorries loading and unloading on this stretch of the A4251.
“We hope to begin the statutory and consultation processes needed to introduce these restrictions in the near future.”
https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/politics/council/coroner-says-council-must-act-after-death-of-a-cyclist-in-cow-roast-near-tring-4405077
Spike
Nov 12, 2023, 4:41:31 PM11/12/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed it is looking into a
> ban on lorries loading and unloading near where the incident took place.ENDS
> *******AH - IT'S THE COUNCIL THAT WILL IMPOSE THE BAN - NOT THE CORONER. *******
As your original post said in its opening lines:
> QUOTE: Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed it is looking into a
> ban on lorries loading and unloading near where the incident took place.ENDS
> *******AH - IT'S THE COUNCIL THAT WILL IMPOSE THE BAN - NOT THE CORONER. *******
“A coroner has ordered Hertfordshire County Council to take action over
lorries parked for loading and unloading…”
Don’t you read what you post?
🙄
Oh…and if the statutory consultation doesn’t come out in favour of a ban,
then what?
The council will have done what the coroner demanded, yet nothing may
change.
HTH
[…]
> https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/politics/council/coroner-says-council-must-act-after-death-of-a-cyclist-in-cow-roast-near-tring-4405077
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 13, 2023, 2:41:45 AM11/13/23
to
A coroner has said Hertfordshire County Council must act after the death of a cyclist in Cow Roast. Jacques Howell, the county's assistant coroner, has said road users could be at risk because heavy goods vehicles are allowed to stop and unload on the A4251 Tring Road.
Berkhamsted cyclist David Andrews, aged 63, died at St George’s Hospital in London on July 12, 2022 after a crash on the route the day before. Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed it is looking into a ban on lorries loading and unloading near where the incident took place.
After an inquest which took place earlier this year, the assistant coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report. "The inquest received evidence that ... heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as 'an accident waiting to happen'," Mr Howell wrote.
"Evidence was also received from the forensic collision investigator, who gave evidence that in his view the current ability for heavy goods vehicles to lawfully stop outside the commercial premises to unload represents an ongoing risk." He added: "Mr Andrews was a keen cyclist and had been interested in cycling for about 10 years.
"On July 11, 2022, he was cycling south along the A4251, Tring Road, where he collided with a stationary heavy goods vehicle which had stopped outside commercial premises waiting to unload. Sadly, he suffered significant traumatic injuries from which he did not recover, and he died on July 12, 2022 at St George’s Hospital."
According to the report, the stationary HGV involved was stopped "as far to the left as possible", but it still took up "nearly all of the southbound carriageway, which bends to the right at this point". The assistant coroner said: "In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisation have the power to take such action."
A Hertfordshire County Council spokesperson confirmed the authority has responded to Mr Howell, which it had a duty to do. The spokesperson said: "In light of the issues highlighted by the coroner’s report, we are looking to introduce a ban on lorries loading and unloading on this stretch of the A4251. We hope to begin the statutory and consultation processes needed to introduce these restrictions in the near future."
Berkhamsted cyclist David Andrews, aged 63, died at St George’s Hospital in London on July 12, 2022 after a crash on the route the day before. Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed it is looking into a ban on lorries loading and unloading near where the incident took place.
"Evidence was also received from the forensic collision investigator, who gave evidence that in his view the current ability for heavy goods vehicles to lawfully stop outside the commercial premises to unload represents an ongoing risk." He added: "Mr Andrews was a keen cyclist and had been interested in cycling for about 10 years.
"On July 11, 2022, he was cycling south along the A4251, Tring Road, where he collided with a stationary heavy goods vehicle which had stopped outside commercial premises waiting to unload. Sadly, he suffered significant traumatic injuries from which he did not recover, and he died on July 12, 2022 at St George’s Hospital."
According to the report, the stationary HGV involved was stopped "as far to the left as possible", but it still took up "nearly all of the southbound carriageway, which bends to the right at this point". The assistant coroner said: "In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisation have the power to take such action."
Spike
Nov 13, 2023, 4:39:11 AM11/13/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> A coroner has said Hertfordshire County Council must act after the death
> of a cyclist in Cow Roast. Jacques Howell, the county's assistant
> coroner, has said road users could be at risk because heavy goods
> vehicles are allowed to stop and unload on the A4251 Tring Road.
> A coroner has said Hertfordshire County Council must act after the death
> of a cyclist in Cow Roast. Jacques Howell, the county's assistant
> coroner, has said road users could be at risk because heavy goods
> vehicles are allowed to stop and unload on the A4251 Tring Road.
As your original post said in its opening lines:
“A coroner has ordered Hertfordshire County Council to take action over
lorries parked for loading and unloading…”
Don’t you read what you post? 🙄
Oh…and if the statutory consultation doesn’t come out in favour of a ban,
then what?
The council will have done what the Assistant Coroner demanded, yet nothing
“A coroner has ordered Hertfordshire County Council to take action over
lorries parked for loading and unloading…”
Don’t you read what you post? 🙄
Oh…and if the statutory consultation doesn’t come out in favour of a ban,
then what?
may change.
What the LA could do, for example, is make the appropriate section on the
road a 30mph limit (down from 40) and put in a speed camera.
Quite how the LA will deal with the prospect of cyclists not looking where
they are going - something that has apparently not been mentioned in
connection with the Assistant Coroner’s report - remains to be seen. The
actual circumstances relating to the cyclist’s actions appear to be
unclear, unless it was in the Acting Coroner’s report but about which
nothing has been reported in the media.
HTH
--
Spike
JNugent
Nov 13, 2023, 5:47:37 AM11/13/23
to
On 13/11/2023 07:41 am, Simon Mason wrote:
[And he quoted all this yesterday, and probably the day before that too:]
> A coroner has said Hertfordshire County Council must act after the death of a cyclist in Cow Roast. Jacques Howell, the county's assistant coroner, has said road users could be at risk because heavy goods vehicles are allowed to stop and unload on the A4251 Tring Road.
>
> Berkhamsted cyclist David Andrews, aged 63, died at St George’s Hospital in London on July 12, 2022 after a crash on the route the day before. Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed it is looking into a ban on lorries loading and unloading near where the incident took place.
>
> After an inquest which took place earlier this year, the assistant coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report. "The inquest received evidence that ... heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as 'an accident waiting to happen'," Mr Howell wrote.
Only if other road users collide with the stationary vehicle.
I mean, how does what *happen*?
Have *you* ever run into the back of a stationary lorry?
No, me neither.
[And he quoted all this yesterday, and probably the day before that too:]
> A coroner has said Hertfordshire County Council must act after the death of a cyclist in Cow Roast. Jacques Howell, the county's assistant coroner, has said road users could be at risk because heavy goods vehicles are allowed to stop and unload on the A4251 Tring Road.
>
> Berkhamsted cyclist David Andrews, aged 63, died at St George’s Hospital in London on July 12, 2022 after a crash on the route the day before. Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed it is looking into a ban on lorries loading and unloading near where the incident took place.
>
> After an inquest which took place earlier this year, the assistant coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report. "The inquest received evidence that ... heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as 'an accident waiting to happen'," Mr Howell wrote.
I mean, how does what *happen*?
Have *you* ever run into the back of a stationary lorry?
No, me neither.
Simon Mason
Nov 13, 2023, 6:26:22 AM11/13/23
to
QUOTE: "In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisation have the power to take such action." ENDS
You believe correctly - Hertfordshire County Council does INDEED have the power to impose parking restrictions.
It's what they do.
You believe correctly - Hertfordshire County Council does INDEED have the power to impose parking restrictions.
It's what they do.
Spike
Nov 13, 2023, 7:37:25 AM11/13/23
to
- What can HCC do about street furniture and trees?
- What can HCC do about cyclists that don’t look where they are going?
Both of these also cause deaths.
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 13, 2023, 8:32:20 AM11/13/23
to
QUOTE: Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as “…an accident waiting to happen.”ENDS
Well done HCC - you have a stunning understanding of the risk assessment system - STEP ONE - REMOVE THE HAZARD.
https://sitemate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Hierarchy-of-risk-control-4.png
Well done HCC - you have a stunning understanding of the risk assessment system - STEP ONE - REMOVE THE HAZARD.
https://sitemate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Hierarchy-of-risk-control-4.png
JNugent
Nov 13, 2023, 8:40:41 AM11/13/23
to
On 13/11/2023 01:32 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
> QUOTE: Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as “…an accident waiting to happen.”ENDS
>
> Well done HCC - you have a stunning understanding of the risk assessment system - STEP ONE - REMOVE THE HAZARD...
> QUOTE: Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as “…an accident waiting to happen.”ENDS
>
...chavs on chav-bikes who refuse to look where they're going.
Simon Mason
Nov 13, 2023, 8:44:59 AM11/13/23
to
Spike
Nov 13, 2023, 9:33:08 AM11/13/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound
> carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as “…an
> accident waiting to happen.”ENDS
>
> Well done HCC - you have a stunning understanding of the risk assessment
> system - STEP ONE - REMOVE THE HAZARD.
That obviously means the cycle traffic.
> QUOTE: Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound
> carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as “…an
> accident waiting to happen.”ENDS
>
> Well done HCC - you have a stunning understanding of the risk assessment
> system - STEP ONE - REMOVE THE HAZARD.
> https://sitemate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Hierarchy-of-risk-control-4.png
--
Spike
Spike
Nov 13, 2023, 9:33:49 AM11/13/23
to
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 13, 2023, 11:35:20 AM11/13/23
to
On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 1:44:59 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
> On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 1:32:20 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
> > QUOTE: Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as “…an accident waiting to happen.”ENDS
> >
> > Well done HCC - you have a stunning understanding of the risk assessment system - STEP ONE - REMOVE THE HAZARD.
QUESTION.
> On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 1:32:20 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
> > QUOTE: Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as “…an accident waiting to happen.”ENDS
> >
> > Well done HCC - you have a stunning understanding of the risk assessment system - STEP ONE - REMOVE THE HAZARD.
What safety policy has a council implemented here?
https://road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/schema_org/public/anpr-protected-ltn-lb-ealing.jpeg
Spike
Nov 13, 2023, 11:55:19 AM11/13/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 1:44:59 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
>> On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 1:32:20 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
>>> QUOTE: Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound
>>> carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as
>>> “…an accident waiting to happen.”ENDS
>>>
>>> Well done HCC - you have a stunning understanding of the risk
>>> assessment system - STEP ONE - REMOVE THE HAZARD.
> QUESTION.
> What safety policy has a council implemented here?
A virtue-signalling one.
> On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 1:44:59 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
>> On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 1:32:20 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
>>> QUOTE: Heavy goods vehicles frequently park on the southbound
>>> carriageway in order to unload, and witnesses have described this as
>>> “…an accident waiting to happen.”ENDS
>>>
>>> Well done HCC - you have a stunning understanding of the risk
>>> assessment system - STEP ONE - REMOVE THE HAZARD.
> QUESTION.
> What safety policy has a council implemented here?
> https://road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/schema_org/public/anpr-protected-ltn-lb-ealing.jpeg
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 13, 2023, 1:02:22 PM11/13/23
to
Spike
Nov 13, 2023, 2:58:52 PM11/13/23
to
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 13, 2023, 3:12:47 PM11/13/23
to
QUESTION TWO:
What safety feature has the local council installed here?
https://d1gymyavdvyjgt.cloudfront.net/drive/images/uploads/headers/ws_cropper/1_51x179_623x300_0x520_ltn_funding.jpg
What safety feature has the local council installed here?
https://d1gymyavdvyjgt.cloudfront.net/drive/images/uploads/headers/ws_cropper/1_51x179_623x300_0x520_ltn_funding.jpg
Spike
Nov 13, 2023, 5:18:04 PM11/13/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUESTION TWO:
> What safety feature has the local council installed here?
Well, whatever it is that the local council have installed, it wasn’t a ban
> QUESTION TWO:
> What safety feature has the local council installed here?
on street parking, was it?
> https://d1gymyavdvyjgt.cloudfront.net/drive/images/uploads/headers/ws_cropper/1_51x179_623x300_0x520_ltn_funding.jpg
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 14, 2023, 2:31:19 AM11/14/23
to
Spike
Nov 14, 2023, 4:23:52 AM11/14/23
to
cyclists.
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 14, 2023, 6:35:08 AM11/14/23
to
JNugent
Nov 14, 2023, 7:26:24 AM11/14/23
to
They aren't usually kids, elderly or disabled...
JNugent
Nov 14, 2023, 7:29:11 AM11/14/23
to
On 14/11/2023 11:35 am, Simon Mason wrote:
[talking to himself again, allegedly:]
> On Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 7:31:19 AM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
[talking to himself again, allegedly:]
Does the DfT have access to Home Office / police figures? If so, how?
Police officers usually report that in a traffic-excluded area, crime -
especially petty crime and street robberies - increases. This is because
perps are aware that they are less likely to be witnessed.
[talking to himself again, allegedly:]
> On Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 7:31:19 AM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
Police officers usually report that in a traffic-excluded area, crime -
especially petty crime and street robberies - increases. This is because
perps are aware that they are less likely to be witnessed.
Simon Mason
Nov 14, 2023, 8:39:19 AM11/14/23
to
Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) reduce traffic and air pollution without displacing the problem to nearby streets, new research has shown.
The study by researchers at Imperial College London looked at three LTNs in London, to identify their impact on both air pollution and traffic within the LTN zones and in the surrounding area.
LTNs aim to reduce through traffic in residential areas, usually by the use of barriers which prevent cars from using certain streets, while leaving them open to pedestrians and cyclists.
This research effectively disproves the argument that low-traffic zones will necessarily cause an increase in traffic and air pollution in neighbouring streets.
Many LTNs were put in place during 2020, to prevent an increase in vehicle traffic as people avoided public transport through fear of infection. However, they also provoked opposition, with critics claiming that LTNs increased traffic and pollution in surrounding areas.
The researchers studied three LTNs in Islington, one of London’s most densely populated boroughs, which were put in place during 2020. The team compared pollution and traffic levels at monitoring stations inside the zones, on streets surrounding the zones, and at control sites further away, using data gathered by Islington Borough Council.
The LTNs – in St Peter’s, Canonbury and Clerkenwell – were put in place between July and September 2020. The team analysed data gathered from July 2019 to February 2021. The research is published in Transportation Research Part D.
Because each of the LTNs was set up at a different time and not all monitoring sites gathered data continuously, averaging out the results between the three LTNs would not provide an accurate overall picture. So the team carried out a more complex statistical analysis to ensure other factors that might affect traffic volumes and air pollution at particular times – such as the COVID restrictions in place, school holidays or weather – could be taken into account.
Using this analysis, the researchers found that concentrations of nitrogen dioxide fell by 5.7 percent within the LTNs and by just under nine percent on their boundaries, compared to the control sites. They also found that traffic dropped by over half inside the LTNs and by 13 percent at the boundaries, compared to the controls.
Dr Audrey de Nazelle, from Imperial’s Centre for Environmental Policy, said: “This research effectively disproves the argument that low-traffic zones will necessarily cause an increase in traffic and air pollution in neighbouring streets.
"In the three areas we looked at, they reduced both traffic volumes and, significantly, air pollution both inside and on the edges of the zone. Alongside the other benefits of LTNs that have been shown in previous research – such as improvements in safety and an increase in walking and cycling – this makes a very strong argument in their favour.”
Co-author, Imperial College London PhD student Helen Yang added: “This is the first study to use a robust statistical approach to show the impact of LTNs on surrounding areas, and the results are really encouraging. We worked with a relatively small data set and further research is now needed to confirm these findings at a larger scale.”
-
The study by researchers at Imperial College London looked at three LTNs in London, to identify their impact on both air pollution and traffic within the LTN zones and in the surrounding area.
LTNs aim to reduce through traffic in residential areas, usually by the use of barriers which prevent cars from using certain streets, while leaving them open to pedestrians and cyclists.
This research effectively disproves the argument that low-traffic zones will necessarily cause an increase in traffic and air pollution in neighbouring streets.
Many LTNs were put in place during 2020, to prevent an increase in vehicle traffic as people avoided public transport through fear of infection. However, they also provoked opposition, with critics claiming that LTNs increased traffic and pollution in surrounding areas.
The researchers studied three LTNs in Islington, one of London’s most densely populated boroughs, which were put in place during 2020. The team compared pollution and traffic levels at monitoring stations inside the zones, on streets surrounding the zones, and at control sites further away, using data gathered by Islington Borough Council.
The LTNs – in St Peter’s, Canonbury and Clerkenwell – were put in place between July and September 2020. The team analysed data gathered from July 2019 to February 2021. The research is published in Transportation Research Part D.
Because each of the LTNs was set up at a different time and not all monitoring sites gathered data continuously, averaging out the results between the three LTNs would not provide an accurate overall picture. So the team carried out a more complex statistical analysis to ensure other factors that might affect traffic volumes and air pollution at particular times – such as the COVID restrictions in place, school holidays or weather – could be taken into account.
Using this analysis, the researchers found that concentrations of nitrogen dioxide fell by 5.7 percent within the LTNs and by just under nine percent on their boundaries, compared to the control sites. They also found that traffic dropped by over half inside the LTNs and by 13 percent at the boundaries, compared to the controls.
Dr Audrey de Nazelle, from Imperial’s Centre for Environmental Policy, said: “This research effectively disproves the argument that low-traffic zones will necessarily cause an increase in traffic and air pollution in neighbouring streets.
"In the three areas we looked at, they reduced both traffic volumes and, significantly, air pollution both inside and on the edges of the zone. Alongside the other benefits of LTNs that have been shown in previous research – such as improvements in safety and an increase in walking and cycling – this makes a very strong argument in their favour.”
Co-author, Imperial College London PhD student Helen Yang added: “This is the first study to use a robust statistical approach to show the impact of LTNs on surrounding areas, and the results are really encouraging. We worked with a relatively small data set and further research is now needed to confirm these findings at a larger scale.”
-
Spike
Nov 14, 2023, 11:54:57 AM11/14/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) reduce traffic and air pollution
> without displacing the problem to nearby streets, new research has shown.
> The study by researchers at Imperial College London looked at three LTNs
> in London, to identify their impact on both air pollution and traffic
> within the LTN zones and in the surrounding area.
The first question to ask here is: what was the source of the funding for
> Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) reduce traffic and air pollution
> without displacing the problem to nearby streets, new research has shown.
> The study by researchers at Imperial College London looked at three LTNs
> in London, to identify their impact on both air pollution and traffic
> within the LTN zones and in the surrounding area.
this work?
> The researchers studied three LTNs in Islington, one of London’s most
> densely populated boroughs, which were put in place during 2020.
> The team compared pollution and traffic levels at monitoring stations
> inside the zones, on streets surrounding the zones, and at control sites
> further away, using data gathered by Islington Borough Council.
> Using this analysis, the researchers found that concentrations of
> nitrogen dioxide fell by 5.7 percent within the LTNs and by just under
> nine percent on their boundaries, compared to the control sites. They
> also found that traffic dropped by over half inside the LTNs and by 13
> percent at the boundaries, compared to the controls.
But, of course, as the report admits, it didn’t use actual data for the
> nitrogen dioxide fell by 5.7 percent within the LTNs and by just under
> nine percent on their boundaries, compared to the control sites. They
> also found that traffic dropped by over half inside the LTNs and by 13
> percent at the boundaries, compared to the controls.
comparison but statistically-derived numbers instead.
> Co-author, Imperial College London PhD student Helen Yang added: “This is
> the first study to use a robust statistical approach to show the impact
> of LTNs on surrounding areas, and the results are really encouraging. We
> worked with a relatively small data set and further research is now
> needed to confirm these findings at a larger scale.”
within the Borough of Islington.
If re-routed traffic not only avoided the LTN areas but also the
surrounding areas, or Islington as an area, then all that has been done
is to move traffic elsewhere, as the co-author rightly suggests when she
also speaks of the small data-set used.
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 14, 2023, 1:09:34 PM11/14/23
to
Low-traffic neighbourhoods, which use filters to try to reduce motor traffic on residential streets, do not disproportionately benefit more privileged communities, the most comprehensive study of their rollout so far has concluded.
The research, which examined about 400 filters created in London last year, seemingly demolishes the main argument by opponents of such schemes: that they tend to shunt vehicles from richer residential areas on to roads lived in by more deprived people.
One media report last month used an analysis of house prices to support this objection, saying homes tended to be more expensive in streets that benefited from low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs). Controversy over the neighbourhoods, created in cities across the UK by using planters or bollards to prevent through-traffic while leaving the route open for cyclists and walkers, has led to several being scrapped.
But the new study, led by Rachel Aldred, a professor of transport at Westminster University in London, uses detailed and sophisticated data to compare streets, including occupants’ age, ethnicity, disability, employment and car ownership, and the government’s index of multiple deprivation, down to micro-areas of about 300 residents.
Aldred’s team examined all LTNs introduced in the capital between March and September, and found that across the city, people in the most deprived quarter of areas were 2.7 times more likely to live in one of the new LTNs than the least deprived quarter of people.
People without cars were more likely to live in an LTN overall, and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) Londoners were slightly more likely to than white residents, although this varied by ethnicity, with Asian people slightly less likely to do so than white locals.
At the very local level, the research found, people living inside LTNs tended to be demographically similar to those living just outside it, on streets that connected with an LTN boundary road.
Amid the general figures there was significant variation between local areas over equity, Aldred found, although the median district was more likely to have the most deprived areas in an LTN than the least deprived.
The research, the team concluded, showed that the rollout of LTNs in London had been “broadly equitable at the city level and at the micro level but not always at the district level”.
Groups campaigning for more walking and cycling said the findings meant LTNs should be created more widely, rather than scrapped because of objections, often from a minority of residents.
Mary Creagh, the chief executive of Living Streets, said: “National policymakers and politicians must ensure this levelling up approach is baked into the upcoming rollout of LTNs, so that more people, from all walks of life, can enjoy the health benefits that come from safer, cleaner and less congested streets.”
Simon Munk, a senior infrastructure campaigner at London Cycling Campaign, said the research “adds to the growing body of evidence that demonstrates how important low-traffic neighbourhoods are to improving Londoners’ lives”.
He said: “The boroughs and the mayor must ensure all of these measures are delivered equitably, and this research shows that most schemes delivered in the last year have been. The damaging impact of unnecessary motor traffic across London is felt unequally, and schemes like these help address this.”
However many residents in and around LTNs may continue to have objections. When the Guardian asked readers what they thought of the schemes last year, although many had positive views, we also heard of worries over traffic gridlock and increased pollution around the projects. Some were concerned about negatives impacts on local businesses, or that delivery services might be held up.
Contacted by the Guardian about the findings, Ian Barnes, the deputy leader of Enfield council, said: “Our first LTNs have been implemented in areas where there has been considerable contact and representation from residents in local communities who have asked us about the possibility of introducing an LTN, which has meant plans were further in their development.
“We have plans to engage with residents across the borough to identify future areas for LTNs, including the eastern part of Enfield. The council has recently invested in a major segregated cycling project in the less affluent wards in the borough which provides foundations for more LTN projects.”
The mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, said: “This new research helps dispel some of the myths about low-traffic neighbourhoods and sets out why, for us, taking action on air quality and sustainable travel is a social justice issue”.
Late last year, Aldred led a separate study that examined the equity of LTNs by data based on demographic differences between people who live on residential streets and main roads. The research showed there were few that could be detected.
The research, which examined about 400 filters created in London last year, seemingly demolishes the main argument by opponents of such schemes: that they tend to shunt vehicles from richer residential areas on to roads lived in by more deprived people.
One media report last month used an analysis of house prices to support this objection, saying homes tended to be more expensive in streets that benefited from low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs). Controversy over the neighbourhoods, created in cities across the UK by using planters or bollards to prevent through-traffic while leaving the route open for cyclists and walkers, has led to several being scrapped.
But the new study, led by Rachel Aldred, a professor of transport at Westminster University in London, uses detailed and sophisticated data to compare streets, including occupants’ age, ethnicity, disability, employment and car ownership, and the government’s index of multiple deprivation, down to micro-areas of about 300 residents.
Aldred’s team examined all LTNs introduced in the capital between March and September, and found that across the city, people in the most deprived quarter of areas were 2.7 times more likely to live in one of the new LTNs than the least deprived quarter of people.
People without cars were more likely to live in an LTN overall, and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) Londoners were slightly more likely to than white residents, although this varied by ethnicity, with Asian people slightly less likely to do so than white locals.
At the very local level, the research found, people living inside LTNs tended to be demographically similar to those living just outside it, on streets that connected with an LTN boundary road.
Amid the general figures there was significant variation between local areas over equity, Aldred found, although the median district was more likely to have the most deprived areas in an LTN than the least deprived.
The research, the team concluded, showed that the rollout of LTNs in London had been “broadly equitable at the city level and at the micro level but not always at the district level”.
Groups campaigning for more walking and cycling said the findings meant LTNs should be created more widely, rather than scrapped because of objections, often from a minority of residents.
Mary Creagh, the chief executive of Living Streets, said: “National policymakers and politicians must ensure this levelling up approach is baked into the upcoming rollout of LTNs, so that more people, from all walks of life, can enjoy the health benefits that come from safer, cleaner and less congested streets.”
Simon Munk, a senior infrastructure campaigner at London Cycling Campaign, said the research “adds to the growing body of evidence that demonstrates how important low-traffic neighbourhoods are to improving Londoners’ lives”.
He said: “The boroughs and the mayor must ensure all of these measures are delivered equitably, and this research shows that most schemes delivered in the last year have been. The damaging impact of unnecessary motor traffic across London is felt unequally, and schemes like these help address this.”
However many residents in and around LTNs may continue to have objections. When the Guardian asked readers what they thought of the schemes last year, although many had positive views, we also heard of worries over traffic gridlock and increased pollution around the projects. Some were concerned about negatives impacts on local businesses, or that delivery services might be held up.
Contacted by the Guardian about the findings, Ian Barnes, the deputy leader of Enfield council, said: “Our first LTNs have been implemented in areas where there has been considerable contact and representation from residents in local communities who have asked us about the possibility of introducing an LTN, which has meant plans were further in their development.
“We have plans to engage with residents across the borough to identify future areas for LTNs, including the eastern part of Enfield. The council has recently invested in a major segregated cycling project in the less affluent wards in the borough which provides foundations for more LTN projects.”
The mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, said: “This new research helps dispel some of the myths about low-traffic neighbourhoods and sets out why, for us, taking action on air quality and sustainable travel is a social justice issue”.
Late last year, Aldred led a separate study that examined the equity of LTNs by data based on demographic differences between people who live on residential streets and main roads. The research showed there were few that could be detected.
Spike
Nov 14, 2023, 2:17:20 PM11/14/23
to
Spike <aero....@btinternet.invalid> wrote:
> Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) reduce traffic and air pollution
>> without displacing the problem to nearby streets, new research has shown.
>
>> The study by researchers at Imperial College London looked at three LTNs
>> in London, to identify their impact on both air pollution and traffic
>> within the LTN zones and in the surrounding area.
>
> The first question to ask here is: what was the source of the funding for
> this work?
The Acknowledgements section says this:
> Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) reduce traffic and air pollution
>> without displacing the problem to nearby streets, new research has shown.
>
>> The study by researchers at Imperial College London looked at three LTNs
>> in London, to identify their impact on both air pollution and traffic
>> within the LTN zones and in the surrounding area.
>
> The first question to ask here is: what was the source of the funding for
> this work?
“Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Islington Council for their provision of data for
this study and for their support throughout the research process.”
So the source of the funding remains unclear.
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 14, 2023, 3:04:12 PM11/14/23
to
> QUOTE:
> But the new study, led by Rachel Aldred, a professor of transport at Westminster University in London, uses detailed and sophisticated data to compare streets, including occupants’ age, ethnicity, disability, employment and car ownership, and the government’s index of multiple deprivation, down to micro-areas of about 300 residents. ENDS
I showed Rachel around the cycling facilities in Hull in 2006 when we had 140 20mph zones around the city.
QUOTE: A council spokesperson says: "Hull City Council has been a pioneer in implementing speed reduction methods. From the mid 1990’s, the council has embarked on a sustained programme of three main schemes that have made our roads safer and seen speed reduction implemented throughout the city. ENDS
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/every-road-hull-cut-20mph-2388710
Spike
Nov 14, 2023, 5:05:00 PM11/14/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) reduce traffic and air pollution
> without displacing the problem to nearby streets, new research has shown.
> Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) reduce traffic and air pollution
> without displacing the problem to nearby streets, new research has shown.
> The LTNs – in St Peter’s, Canonbury and Clerkenwell – were put in place
> between July and September 2020. The team analysed data gathered from
> July 2019 to February 2021. The research is published in Transportation Research Part D.
>
> Because each of the LTNs was set up at a different time and not all
> monitoring sites gathered data continuously, averaging out the results
> between the three LTNs would not provide an accurate overall picture. So
> the team carried out a more complex statistical analysis.
> between July and September 2020. The team analysed data gathered from
> July 2019 to February 2021. The research is published in Transportation Research Part D.
>
> Because each of the LTNs was set up at a different time and not all
> monitoring sites gathered data continuously, averaging out the results
> between the three LTNs would not provide an accurate overall picture. So
“If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better
experiment”
Ernest Rutherford
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 15, 2023, 2:09:59 AM11/15/23
to
covering 500 streets. The casualty statistics between 1994 and 2001 showed a drop of 14% in Hull, compared
to a rise of 1.5% in the rest of Yorkshire and Humberside. In the 20mph zones in Hull, there was a decrease in
total accidents of 56% and in fatal and serious injuries of 90%. The biggest reductions were pedestrian
casualties, which fell by 54%, child casualties, which dropped by 54% and child pedestrian casualties, which fell
by 74%. These figures were reported in Local Transport Today.
Spike
Nov 15, 2023, 4:10:01 AM11/15/23
to
For example, if casualties drop by 10% but traffic drops by 15%, then the
rate of casualties has gone up!
Always look for the missing data…
Is it easy to drive around Hull instead of through it?
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 15, 2023, 6:41:08 AM11/15/23
to
QUOTE: It comes as Cllr Paul West's call to implement 20mph zones where needed was backed at the same meeting East Riding Council's full meeting. Cllr West said it was part of the Safer Roads Humber push towards getting zero deaths on local roads.
Cllr Hammond said: "North Dalton is a beautiful village. It has a great pub, village hall, pond and church.
"All of which are sadly located on a very tight bend in the centre of the village. The layout of this bend dictates that any sensible driver would not go around it at the allowed 30mph speed limit.
"But many do, and we regularly get complaints of vehicles crashing into walls and gardens. There's also high pedestrian footfall, so it should be 20mph.ENDS
Cllr Hammond said: "North Dalton is a beautiful village. It has a great pub, village hall, pond and church.
"All of which are sadly located on a very tight bend in the centre of the village. The layout of this bend dictates that any sensible driver would not go around it at the allowed 30mph speed limit.
"But many do, and we regularly get complaints of vehicles crashing into walls and gardens. There's also high pedestrian footfall, so it should be 20mph.ENDS
Spike
Nov 15, 2023, 9:42:27 AM11/15/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: It comes as Cllr Paul West's call to implement 20mph zones where
> needed was backed at the same meeting East Riding Council's full meeting.
> Cllr West said it was part of the Safer Roads Humber push towards getting
> zero deaths on local roads.
Zero road deaths is an unattainable goal. Road deaths were happening in
> QUOTE: It comes as Cllr Paul West's call to implement 20mph zones where
> needed was backed at the same meeting East Riding Council's full meeting.
> Cllr West said it was part of the Safer Roads Humber push towards getting
> zero deaths on local roads.
the time of the Romans, and they rarely reached as much as 20mph.
It’s a great slogan for those who wish to virtue-signal, though.
--
Spike
JNugent
Nov 15, 2023, 11:01:21 AM11/15/23
to
tens of yards?
Other than that chav-cyclists like yourself will take pleasure in
boasting that you deliberately exceed the limit, particularly where it
passes schools and particularly on FOOTways?
Simon Mason
Nov 15, 2023, 11:26:12 AM11/15/23
to
A huge row is raging in Wales after a controversial 20mph speed limit was brought in on residential roads. Supporters say it will save lives and reduce pollution, while opponents argue it will have a negative impact on businesses and the economy.
So how would people feel if the 30mph speed limit was reduced to 20mph on residential roads in Hull and other urban areas around East Yorkshire? To find out, BBC Look North spoke to a driving instructor and people in Newland Avenue, where the speed limit has been set at 20mph for many years.
While there are no plans to bring in such a blanket change in England, councils have long had to consider reducing speed limits in streets where road safety is an issue. But while some Hull people welcomed the idea of more 20mph zones, others described it as a "war on motorists".
Paula, a driving instructor who regularly takes learners on 20mph roads, said: "Some people will think that it is overly cautious and I guess it depends where they roll it out. If a child or a person was knocked over at 20 miles an hour, they're going to stand much more chance of surviving, probably up to like 95 per cent."
Asked if the 20mph speed limit in Newland Avenue had made a difference, one local woman said she thought it made it safer, but "ultimately there are still more cars on the streets". She added: "A lot of kids don't play out like they used to."
Another woman said: "I think it's good in principle, but I don't think people will stick to the 20 miles per hour."
One male driver said he tried to avoid Newland Avenue because of the 20mph limit. "There's a lot of congestion," he added. "It's already hard to park. People are just using the off streets as cut-throughs.
In Wales, nearly 400,000 people have signed a petition to rescind the new 20mph law, amid claims from some motorists that it is causing "gridlock" and is "completely disorganised". However, the Welsh government says the measure will save up to 100 lives and 20,000 casualties in the first decade, while saving the NHS in Wales £92 million a year.
In England, the Liberal Democrats say they would back moves to reduce speed limits in local communities, if it can be shown that there is public support for the measure. Sir Ed Davy, the Lib Dem leader, told reporter Tim Iredale that people who had been consulted on the idea in his constituency liked the idea of reduced air polliution and increased road safety, particularly families living around schools.
Comments sent in to Look North suggest that the issue will continue to divide opinion. Daniel said: "I agree with the 20mph zone but in reality it will not be policed. Don't hold your breath for this to be a success."
So how would people feel if the 30mph speed limit was reduced to 20mph on residential roads in Hull and other urban areas around East Yorkshire? To find out, BBC Look North spoke to a driving instructor and people in Newland Avenue, where the speed limit has been set at 20mph for many years.
While there are no plans to bring in such a blanket change in England, councils have long had to consider reducing speed limits in streets where road safety is an issue. But while some Hull people welcomed the idea of more 20mph zones, others described it as a "war on motorists".
Paula, a driving instructor who regularly takes learners on 20mph roads, said: "Some people will think that it is overly cautious and I guess it depends where they roll it out. If a child or a person was knocked over at 20 miles an hour, they're going to stand much more chance of surviving, probably up to like 95 per cent."
Asked if the 20mph speed limit in Newland Avenue had made a difference, one local woman said she thought it made it safer, but "ultimately there are still more cars on the streets". She added: "A lot of kids don't play out like they used to."
Another woman said: "I think it's good in principle, but I don't think people will stick to the 20 miles per hour."
One male driver said he tried to avoid Newland Avenue because of the 20mph limit. "There's a lot of congestion," he added. "It's already hard to park. People are just using the off streets as cut-throughs.
In Wales, nearly 400,000 people have signed a petition to rescind the new 20mph law, amid claims from some motorists that it is causing "gridlock" and is "completely disorganised". However, the Welsh government says the measure will save up to 100 lives and 20,000 casualties in the first decade, while saving the NHS in Wales £92 million a year.
In England, the Liberal Democrats say they would back moves to reduce speed limits in local communities, if it can be shown that there is public support for the measure. Sir Ed Davy, the Lib Dem leader, told reporter Tim Iredale that people who had been consulted on the idea in his constituency liked the idea of reduced air polliution and increased road safety, particularly families living around schools.
Comments sent in to Look North suggest that the issue will continue to divide opinion. Daniel said: "I agree with the 20mph zone but in reality it will not be policed. Don't hold your breath for this to be a success."
JNugent
Nov 15, 2023, 11:44:42 AM11/15/23
to
premises (see thread title) is completely unclear, but imposing a 20mph
limit in a purely residential "destination" street is probably
uncontroversial. In many streets with on-street parking, 20 is probably
at the upper end of what can be done safely.
It's things like reducing the speed limit on a wide dual carriageway
(Park Lane, W1, between Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner) from 40mph to
20 mph which proves what arrant loonies are in charge of some of our
cities, counties and other local governmental units.
Simon Mason
Nov 15, 2023, 12:58:09 PM11/15/23
to
Hull has implemented 20 MPH zones, selecting areas based on speeding-related collisions. From 1994 there was widespread introduction of 20mph zones in Hull with 120 zones covering 500 streets in place by 2003. As a result in these areas there was a decrease in total accidents of 56%, with fatal and serious injuries reducing by 90% Pedestrian casualties fell by 54%. (BCC September 13 Briefing, p. 3)
Spike
Nov 15, 2023, 4:16:57 PM11/15/23
to
Without that information the above numbers mean nothing.
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 15, 2023, 4:37:53 PM11/15/23
to
A grandmother has called for speed bumps on a Hull road after witnessing a number of crashes.
Anne Smith, who lives off Runnymede Lane in Kingswood, said drivers were regularly exceeding the 20mph limit and some were abusive when challenged.
She is appealing for speed bumps, more signs, crossings and other measures.
Hull City Council said speeding regulations were in place but it would always work with local people to address any concerns.
The 69-year-old said she feared for her grandchildren's safety, saying she had seen drivers lose control of their cars.
"We're not just talking about people doing 24mph, there's people doing 40mph or 50mph," she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
"We've had someone ram into a road sign in Runnymede Lane at 06:00 in the morning, because they were driving too fast.
"From my kitchen window, I've also seen a car skid and do a 360-degree turn, and then just drove off. People here have been bringing these issues up more and more.
"There's nowhere safe for children to cross the road, if they're going to the primary schools of Kingswood Academy there's nowhere safe for them to cross on Runnymede Lane because there's no straight stretches."
Ms Smith said that people suffered abuse when they signalled to the cars to slow down.
"When I've put my hand out to drivers going too fast, I've had effing and blinding, swearing and all sorts," she said.
"But it's not just boy racers doing this, it could be anyone. It tends to happen from about 06.30 to 08.30. Some of the drivers have been women doing the school run.
The council said safety works had been done on roads in the area and the authority was aware of concerns.
"Several areas of Kingswood are subject to a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), making side streets 20mph, and main spine routes 30mph," a spokesperson said.
"The council is aware of the need to monitor traffic and speeding issues as Kingswood expands. It will always look to work with residents to address their concerns."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-66325847
Anne Smith, who lives off Runnymede Lane in Kingswood, said drivers were regularly exceeding the 20mph limit and some were abusive when challenged.
She is appealing for speed bumps, more signs, crossings and other measures.
Hull City Council said speeding regulations were in place but it would always work with local people to address any concerns.
The 69-year-old said she feared for her grandchildren's safety, saying she had seen drivers lose control of their cars.
"We're not just talking about people doing 24mph, there's people doing 40mph or 50mph," she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
"We've had someone ram into a road sign in Runnymede Lane at 06:00 in the morning, because they were driving too fast.
"From my kitchen window, I've also seen a car skid and do a 360-degree turn, and then just drove off. People here have been bringing these issues up more and more.
"There's nowhere safe for children to cross the road, if they're going to the primary schools of Kingswood Academy there's nowhere safe for them to cross on Runnymede Lane because there's no straight stretches."
Ms Smith said that people suffered abuse when they signalled to the cars to slow down.
"When I've put my hand out to drivers going too fast, I've had effing and blinding, swearing and all sorts," she said.
"But it's not just boy racers doing this, it could be anyone. It tends to happen from about 06.30 to 08.30. Some of the drivers have been women doing the school run.
The council said safety works had been done on roads in the area and the authority was aware of concerns.
"Several areas of Kingswood are subject to a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), making side streets 20mph, and main spine routes 30mph," a spokesperson said.
"The council is aware of the need to monitor traffic and speeding issues as Kingswood expands. It will always look to work with residents to address their concerns."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-66325847
Spike
Nov 15, 2023, 5:06:54 PM11/15/23
to
casualties had gone up!
So the data quoted above is…useless, except to bamboozle the gullible.
Successfully, it would seem…
--
Spike
JNugent
Nov 15, 2023, 7:46:37 PM11/15/23
to
On 15/11/2023 05:58 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
>
> Hull has implemented 20 MPH zones, selecting areas based on speeding-related collisions. From 1994 there was widespread introduction of 20mph zones in Hull with 120 zones covering 500 streets in place by 2003. As a result in these areas there was a decrease in total accidents of 56%, with fatal and serious injuries reducing by 90% Pedestrian casualties fell by 54%. (BCC September 13 Briefing, p. 3)
This is at least the second time you have posted the same stream of
>
> Hull has implemented 20 MPH zones, selecting areas based on speeding-related collisions. From 1994 there was widespread introduction of 20mph zones in Hull with 120 zones covering 500 streets in place by 2003. As a result in these areas there was a decrease in total accidents of 56%, with fatal and serious injuries reducing by 90% Pedestrian casualties fell by 54%. (BCC September 13 Briefing, p. 3)
consciousness inside twenty-four hours.
What IS the point?
JNugent
Nov 15, 2023, 7:51:44 PM11/15/23
to
On 15/11/2023 09:37 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
> A grandmother has called for speed bumps on a Hull road after witnessing a number of crashes.
> Anne Smith, who lives off Runnymede Lane in Kingswood, said drivers were regularly exceeding the 20mph limit
Radar vision?
> A grandmother has called for speed bumps on a Hull road after witnessing a number of crashes.
> Anne Smith, who lives off Runnymede Lane in Kingswood, said drivers were regularly exceeding the 20mph limit
> and some were abusive when challenged.
going to end well.
If you doubt that, try (as an interesting parallel) tackling a chav on a
chav-bike who is heading along a FOOTway or who has just gone through a
red traffic light.
> She is appealing for speed bumps, more signs, crossings and other measures.
> Hull City Council said speeding regulations were in place but it would always work with local people to address any concerns.
> The 69-year-old said she feared for her grandchildren's safety, saying she had seen drivers lose control of their cars.
> "We're not just talking about people doing 24mph, there's people doing 40mph or 50mph," she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
> "We've had someone ram into a road sign in Runnymede Lane at 06:00 in the morning, because they were driving too fast.
At 06:00?
Has she actually got a life?
>
> "From my kitchen window, I've also seen a car skid and do a 360-degree turn, and then just drove off. People here have been bringing these issues up more and more.
Are you sure she isn't in the Streets of San Francisco?
> "From my kitchen window, I've also seen a car skid and do a 360-degree turn, and then just drove off. People here have been bringing these issues up more and more.
> "There's nowhere safe for children to cross the road, if they're going to the primary schools of Kingswood Academy there's nowhere safe for them to cross on Runnymede Lane because there's no straight stretches."
> Ms Smith said that people suffered abuse when they signalled to the cars to slow down.
> "When I've put my hand out to drivers going too fast, I've had effing and blinding, swearing and all sorts," she said.
Never mind radar vision; has she got super-hearing as well?
>
> "But it's not just boy racers doing this, it could be anyone. It tends to happen from about 06.30 to 08.30. Some of the drivers have been women doing the school run.
The school run from 06:30?
> "But it's not just boy racers doing this, it could be anyone. It tends to happen from about 06.30 to 08.30. Some of the drivers have been women doing the school run.
Is she alright in the head?
Simon Mason
Nov 16, 2023, 3:01:55 AM11/16/23
to
QUOTE: "When I've put my hand out to drivers going too fast, I've had effing and blinding, swearing and all sorts," she said. ENDS
Surely you don't think they will care about mowing children down?
It's what they do.
Every day.
Surely you don't think they will care about mowing children down?
It's what they do.
Every day.
Spike
Nov 16, 2023, 5:05:08 AM11/16/23
to
effing stopping’?
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 16, 2023, 6:30:47 AM11/16/23
to
A PROFESSOR of sustainable transport and former Green Party election council candidate has called on Herefordshire to adopt the Wales-wide approach to 20mph residential speed limits.
The move by John Whitelegg, visiting professor of sustainable transport at Liverpool John Moores University comes as Public Health England rates Herefordshire as “significantly worse than the England average” for road-related deaths and serious injuries.
Professor Whitelegg, who stood unsuccessfully for the Greens in Arrow ward in May, is organising a public meeting in Hereford next week in a bid to build support for the idea.
A House of Commons report, reducing the speed limit from 30 to 20mph can drastically decrease the likelihood of pedestrian fatalities from collisions, he says, with the odds dropping from one in two to one in ten.
John Whitelegg said: “Herefordshire Council agreed to support the 20mph policy in March 2020, but 41 months later there is no sign of implementation.”
While the Welsh Government is set to enforce 20mph limits in built-up areas from September 20, citing both public health and safety benefits, England is no stranger to such restrictions.
Over 20 million residents in England, including those in Lancashire, Oxfordshire, and Cornwall, already reside in 20mph zones.
John Harrington, the county’s head of transport in November 2021, mentioned that the initiative had not been advanced “due to resource constraints”.
Local trials were conducted in areas like Cusop and Pembridge.
The Welsh Conservative Twitter account voiced its opinion on the matter, stating, “Welsh Conservatives support 20mph speed limits in heavily pedestrianised areas, but a blanket 20mph speed limits across Wales is simply ludicrous.”
In addition, a consultation report commissioned by the Welsh Government, said the move in Wales could cost the national economy up to £4.5 billion over the next 30 years, due to slower delivery times and other factors.
Safety is the main argument for the policy. Data from Hull, where 20mph zones were introduced extensively, showed a 56 per cent decrease in total accidents by 2003 and a 90 per cent reduction in fatal and serious injuries. London’s 20mph zones also witnessed a 42 per cent reduction in injury accidents and a 53 per cent drop in fatal or serious accidents.
Air quality is another factor. While driving at 30mph is more fuel-efficient than 20mph, the reality in residential areas is different due to frequent stops and starts. Research from Imperial College London found that 20mph speed limits had no negative impact on exhaust emissions, with smoother driving resulting in fewer particulate emissions.
These particulate emissions, especially PM2.5, are of significant concern as they can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream, potentially leading to various health conditions.
The cost of implementing the 20mph limit, estimated at £32.5 million, is anticipated to be quickly offset by the economic savings from reduced road casualties.
The move by John Whitelegg, visiting professor of sustainable transport at Liverpool John Moores University comes as Public Health England rates Herefordshire as “significantly worse than the England average” for road-related deaths and serious injuries.
Professor Whitelegg, who stood unsuccessfully for the Greens in Arrow ward in May, is organising a public meeting in Hereford next week in a bid to build support for the idea.
A House of Commons report, reducing the speed limit from 30 to 20mph can drastically decrease the likelihood of pedestrian fatalities from collisions, he says, with the odds dropping from one in two to one in ten.
John Whitelegg said: “Herefordshire Council agreed to support the 20mph policy in March 2020, but 41 months later there is no sign of implementation.”
While the Welsh Government is set to enforce 20mph limits in built-up areas from September 20, citing both public health and safety benefits, England is no stranger to such restrictions.
Over 20 million residents in England, including those in Lancashire, Oxfordshire, and Cornwall, already reside in 20mph zones.
John Harrington, the county’s head of transport in November 2021, mentioned that the initiative had not been advanced “due to resource constraints”.
Local trials were conducted in areas like Cusop and Pembridge.
The Welsh Conservative Twitter account voiced its opinion on the matter, stating, “Welsh Conservatives support 20mph speed limits in heavily pedestrianised areas, but a blanket 20mph speed limits across Wales is simply ludicrous.”
In addition, a consultation report commissioned by the Welsh Government, said the move in Wales could cost the national economy up to £4.5 billion over the next 30 years, due to slower delivery times and other factors.
Safety is the main argument for the policy. Data from Hull, where 20mph zones were introduced extensively, showed a 56 per cent decrease in total accidents by 2003 and a 90 per cent reduction in fatal and serious injuries. London’s 20mph zones also witnessed a 42 per cent reduction in injury accidents and a 53 per cent drop in fatal or serious accidents.
Air quality is another factor. While driving at 30mph is more fuel-efficient than 20mph, the reality in residential areas is different due to frequent stops and starts. Research from Imperial College London found that 20mph speed limits had no negative impact on exhaust emissions, with smoother driving resulting in fewer particulate emissions.
These particulate emissions, especially PM2.5, are of significant concern as they can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream, potentially leading to various health conditions.
The cost of implementing the 20mph limit, estimated at £32.5 million, is anticipated to be quickly offset by the economic savings from reduced road casualties.
Spike
Nov 16, 2023, 8:14:10 AM11/16/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> A PROFESSOR of sustainable transport and former Green Party election
> council candidate has called on Herefordshire to adopt the Wales-wide
> approach to 20mph residential speed limits.
No sh1t!
> A PROFESSOR of sustainable transport and former Green Party election
> council candidate has called on Herefordshire to adopt the Wales-wide
> approach to 20mph residential speed limits.
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 16, 2023, 11:09:22 AM11/16/23
to
An East Riding village plagued by regular car crashes into people's walls and gardens is among those where the speed limit should be lowered to 20mph, a councillor has said.
Conservative Cllr Leo Hammond said the B1246's sharp bend through North Dalton was an example of where 20mph limits were needed as councillors backed calls to extend them. Labour's Cllr Steve Gallant said he was hoping to get funding to pilot a 20mph scheme in Hedon, adding a lack of cash often made lowering speed limits difficult.
It comes as Cllr Paul West's call to implement 20mph zones where needed was backed at East Riding Council's full meeting. Cllr West said it was part of the Safer Roads Humber push towards getting zero deaths on local roads.
Cllr West said: "‘Some people may feel that this is too much, my response to that is one death is too much. It is a fact that a pedestrian or a driver has more chance of surviving a collision if a car is driving at 20 to 25 miles per hour, than if a car is travelling at 30 to 35 miles per hour."
Cllr Hammond said he had roads like the one running through North Dalton in mind when it came to places where 20mph limits would work. But he added he did not believe in a blanket approach to speed limits as some 30mph roads were fine as they are.
Cllr Hammond said: "North Dalton is a beautiful village. It has a great pub, village hall, pond and church.
"All of which are sadly located on a very tight bend in the centre of the village. The layout of this bend dictates that any sensible driver would not go around it at the allowed 30mph speed limit.
"But many do, and we regularly get complaints of vehicles crashing into walls and gardens. There's also high pedestrian footfall, so it should be 20mph
"However in some places 30mph is absolutely fine. Having blanket 20mph limits would devalue their impact."
Cllr Gallant said enforcement measures needed for 20mph roads and dwindling budgets for them meant implementation was a challenge. He said: "The council's traffic calming budget is only around £80,000 a year, it used to be about a quarter of a million.
"I've got a meeting with Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison to find a way to introduce a 20mph zone in Hedon as a pilot for the whole of the East Riding. Edinburgh introduced 20mph limits five years ago and there's been a 70 per cent reduction in collisions and pedestrian accidents and injuries."
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/cars-crashing-walls-gardens-beautiful-8808506
Conservative Cllr Leo Hammond said the B1246's sharp bend through North Dalton was an example of where 20mph limits were needed as councillors backed calls to extend them. Labour's Cllr Steve Gallant said he was hoping to get funding to pilot a 20mph scheme in Hedon, adding a lack of cash often made lowering speed limits difficult.
It comes as Cllr Paul West's call to implement 20mph zones where needed was backed at East Riding Council's full meeting. Cllr West said it was part of the Safer Roads Humber push towards getting zero deaths on local roads.
Cllr West said: "‘Some people may feel that this is too much, my response to that is one death is too much. It is a fact that a pedestrian or a driver has more chance of surviving a collision if a car is driving at 20 to 25 miles per hour, than if a car is travelling at 30 to 35 miles per hour."
Cllr Hammond said he had roads like the one running through North Dalton in mind when it came to places where 20mph limits would work. But he added he did not believe in a blanket approach to speed limits as some 30mph roads were fine as they are.
Cllr Hammond said: "North Dalton is a beautiful village. It has a great pub, village hall, pond and church.
"All of which are sadly located on a very tight bend in the centre of the village. The layout of this bend dictates that any sensible driver would not go around it at the allowed 30mph speed limit.
"But many do, and we regularly get complaints of vehicles crashing into walls and gardens. There's also high pedestrian footfall, so it should be 20mph
Cllr Gallant said enforcement measures needed for 20mph roads and dwindling budgets for them meant implementation was a challenge. He said: "The council's traffic calming budget is only around £80,000 a year, it used to be about a quarter of a million.
"I've got a meeting with Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison to find a way to introduce a 20mph zone in Hedon as a pilot for the whole of the East Riding. Edinburgh introduced 20mph limits five years ago and there's been a 70 per cent reduction in collisions and pedestrian accidents and injuries."
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/cars-crashing-walls-gardens-beautiful-8808506
JNugent
Nov 16, 2023, 11:30:24 AM11/16/23
to
On 16/11/2023 11:30 am, Simon Mason wrote:
> A PROFESSOR of sustainable transport and former Green Party election council candidate has called on Herefordshire to adopt the Wales-wide approach to 20mph residential speed limits.
> The move by John Whitelegg, visiting professor of sustainable transport at Liverpool John Moores University comes as Public Health England rates Herefordshire as “significantly worse than the England average” for road-related deaths and serious injuries.
> Professor Whitelegg, who stood unsuccessfully for the Greens in Arrow ward in May,
"stood for the Greens"?
> A PROFESSOR of sustainable transport and former Green Party election council candidate has called on Herefordshire to adopt the Wales-wide approach to 20mph residential speed limits.
> The move by John Whitelegg, visiting professor of sustainable transport at Liverpool John Moores University comes as Public Health England rates Herefordshire as “significantly worse than the England average” for road-related deaths and serious injuries.
> Professor Whitelegg, who stood unsuccessfully for the Greens in Arrow ward in May,
It is hardly suggestive of much by way of common sense or general
concern for the welfare of others, is it?
> is organising a public meeting in Hereford next week in a bid to build support for the idea.
>
> A House of Commons report, reducing the speed limit from 30 to 20mph can drastically decrease the likelihood of pedestrian fatalities from collisions, he says, with the odds dropping from one in two to one in ten.
> John Whitelegg said: “Herefordshire Council agreed to support the 20mph policy in March 2020, but 41 months later there is no sign of implementation.”
> While the Welsh Government is set to enforce 20mph limits in built-up areas from September 20, citing both public health and safety benefits, England is no stranger to such restrictions.
> Over 20 million residents in England, including those in Lancashire, Oxfordshire, and Cornwall, already reside in 20mph zones.
How many people "reside" in Albert Embankment?
> A House of Commons report, reducing the speed limit from 30 to 20mph can drastically decrease the likelihood of pedestrian fatalities from collisions, he says, with the odds dropping from one in two to one in ten.
> John Whitelegg said: “Herefordshire Council agreed to support the 20mph policy in March 2020, but 41 months later there is no sign of implementation.”
> While the Welsh Government is set to enforce 20mph limits in built-up areas from September 20, citing both public health and safety benefits, England is no stranger to such restrictions.
> Over 20 million residents in England, including those in Lancashire, Oxfordshire, and Cornwall, already reside in 20mph zones.
Or in Park Lane, SW1?
JNugent
Nov 16, 2023, 11:31:26 AM11/16/23
to
On 16/11/2023 04:09 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
> An East Riding village plagued by regular car crashes into people's walls and gardens is among those where the speed limit should be lowered to 20mph, a councillor has said.
>
> Conservative Cllr Leo Hammond said the B1246's sharp bend through North Dalton was an example of where 20mph limits were needed as councillors backed calls to extend them. [ ... ]
> An East Riding village plagued by regular car crashes into people's walls and gardens is among those where the speed limit should be lowered to 20mph, a councillor has said.
>
And if that were the way in which such limits were used and implemented,
there would be MUCH LESS criticism of them.
Simon Mason
Nov 16, 2023, 1:02:16 PM11/16/23
to
Opposition to Wirral’s new 20mph zones is growing louder as a new petition calls for Wirral Council to reverse its plans.
The local authority is planning to reduce the speeds on nearly 1,000 roads in what will be the second of four phases to roll out new zones across the Wirral, with more than 1,700 roads already moved over to the new limit.
The first phase passed smoothly in January with full support from all political parties at an environment committee meeting. The rollout is part of a wider strategy aiming to get the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on roads down to zero by 2040 across the Liverpool City Region.
It is being funded through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and is money set aside for the purpose of rolling out new 20mph zones. Data from Merseyside Police found 100 people were involved in KSIs in 2021.
However anger has been growing louder with the council challenged on the issue regularly at meetings and a petition now calling for it to reconsider the scheme getting nearly 900 signatures. Some Conservative councillors have also publicly criticised the plans.
At a council meeting on July 24, several people compared the policy to that of former Soviet communist countries, a whitewash, and antidemocratic. The Liverpool City Region’s Vision Zero strategy to reduce collisions was also labelled as “extreme, alarmist, and totally unattainable" by some of those objecting to the 20mph schemes.
A consultation on the first phase found opposition to every proposed zone but only two received responses from more than 100 people. At the meeting, Wirral resident Anthony Pritchard called the consultation a “failure” arguing many were unaware of the plans succeeding in “creating public confusion and distrust.”
David Felton said: "What is the exact number of people needed to object or the exact proportion of respondents required to stop further 20mph zones from being introduced?"
Councils have had the power to introduce new 20mph zones since 1999 without applying to the government for permission. However the Guardian recently reported government ministers are now considering placing restrictions on council’s abilities to roll out new zones.
According to Queen’s University Belfast, there is evidence that 20mph zones “were associated with a reduction in the number and severity of collisions and casualties” but evidence impacting air pollution and physical activity was insufficient.
A study in Kingston Upon Hull found people walked and cycled more and 60% felt more children played outside as a result. An uncontrolled review of 20mph zones in Hull saw a 56% reduction in total collisions and a reduction of 90% in fatal and serious injuries with the biggest drop being child casualties falling by 74% over the seven year period.
In 1997, a trial of 27 councils in Scotland also found the number of reported accidents every year reduced by 13 with serious or fatal accidents reducing by 6%.
Following a rollout of 20mph zones on 94% of 30mph zones in Portsmouth, half of roads saw a decrease in average speed though 37% did see an increase.
A study looking at the Portsmouth scheme did find perceptions were mixed with 54% saying there had been no change in people’s speed but 40% said they had dropped. However, decreases in casualties on roads in Portsmouth was 8% more than the national average.
However those against the rollout argue “a blanket reduction in speed limits is not an effective solution for our community” and is “based on anecdotal evidence rather than comprehensive studies.”
Alan Jones, the man behind the new petition said: “We request that before implementing such significant changes, the council conducts thorough research and analysis on local accident data, road conditions, and traffic flow patterns.”
They have also argued the rollout is an inefficient use of resources, may result in more congestion, disrupt emergency services, and lead to longer journey times. There are also concerns it “may divert police resources from addressing more pressing issues such as anti-social behaviour or serious crimes within our community.”
He also said: “Studies have shown that simply reducing speed limits does not necessarily lead to a significant decrease in accidents or fatalities unless combined with other road safety measures like improved signage visibility, pedestrian crossings enhancements, or driver education campaigns.”
This is echoed by a Transport Research Laboratory report that showed sign-only schemes only saw speeds reduced by 1km per hour compared to an average of 4km per hour in zones with traffic calming measures. Wirral Council has said such measures would only be considered after signs and lines were installed.
A report by the Department for Transport in 2018 said 20mph zones were most appropriate for quieter streets where people would likely comply with the new rules and police enforcement was key to ensure speeds reduced.
For journey times, most only increase by 1 minute when zones are rolled out according to the Welsh Government. Wirral Council has also said there would be little impact on buses and no anticipated impact on taxi fares.
A January report on the first phase of the scheme said a feasibility study had been done with automatic traffic counts at 200 locations across the Wirral before the rollout began. The report said when planning the rollout, “consideration was given to the feel of the area, what amenities it contains, assessing the impact on surrounding roads and potential collision reduction.”
Environment committee chair Cllr Liz Grey on July 24 said the policy was agreed by the environment committee and at a full council meeting, adding: “It is accepted that 20mph saves lives and that any delays for drivers are likely to be around one minute per person per day.
“With car crashes being the main killer of children and young people as well as a significant cause of death and injury for adults, I would suggest that a minute’s delay is a small price to pay for saving lives.”
She said the consultation had been advertised on local press, social media, emails to residents and on our website, adding: “Results are not ignored. This was not a referendum and all objections were noted and responded to, and where appropriate informed further planning.
“However objections must be valid on the grounds of traffic movement and access and cannot simply be because people do not simply want something.”
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/opposition-grows-new-petition-launched-27461139
The local authority is planning to reduce the speeds on nearly 1,000 roads in what will be the second of four phases to roll out new zones across the Wirral, with more than 1,700 roads already moved over to the new limit.
The first phase passed smoothly in January with full support from all political parties at an environment committee meeting. The rollout is part of a wider strategy aiming to get the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on roads down to zero by 2040 across the Liverpool City Region.
It is being funded through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and is money set aside for the purpose of rolling out new 20mph zones. Data from Merseyside Police found 100 people were involved in KSIs in 2021.
However anger has been growing louder with the council challenged on the issue regularly at meetings and a petition now calling for it to reconsider the scheme getting nearly 900 signatures. Some Conservative councillors have also publicly criticised the plans.
At a council meeting on July 24, several people compared the policy to that of former Soviet communist countries, a whitewash, and antidemocratic. The Liverpool City Region’s Vision Zero strategy to reduce collisions was also labelled as “extreme, alarmist, and totally unattainable" by some of those objecting to the 20mph schemes.
A consultation on the first phase found opposition to every proposed zone but only two received responses from more than 100 people. At the meeting, Wirral resident Anthony Pritchard called the consultation a “failure” arguing many were unaware of the plans succeeding in “creating public confusion and distrust.”
David Felton said: "What is the exact number of people needed to object or the exact proportion of respondents required to stop further 20mph zones from being introduced?"
Councils have had the power to introduce new 20mph zones since 1999 without applying to the government for permission. However the Guardian recently reported government ministers are now considering placing restrictions on council’s abilities to roll out new zones.
According to Queen’s University Belfast, there is evidence that 20mph zones “were associated with a reduction in the number and severity of collisions and casualties” but evidence impacting air pollution and physical activity was insufficient.
A study in Kingston Upon Hull found people walked and cycled more and 60% felt more children played outside as a result. An uncontrolled review of 20mph zones in Hull saw a 56% reduction in total collisions and a reduction of 90% in fatal and serious injuries with the biggest drop being child casualties falling by 74% over the seven year period.
In 1997, a trial of 27 councils in Scotland also found the number of reported accidents every year reduced by 13 with serious or fatal accidents reducing by 6%.
Following a rollout of 20mph zones on 94% of 30mph zones in Portsmouth, half of roads saw a decrease in average speed though 37% did see an increase.
A study looking at the Portsmouth scheme did find perceptions were mixed with 54% saying there had been no change in people’s speed but 40% said they had dropped. However, decreases in casualties on roads in Portsmouth was 8% more than the national average.
However those against the rollout argue “a blanket reduction in speed limits is not an effective solution for our community” and is “based on anecdotal evidence rather than comprehensive studies.”
Alan Jones, the man behind the new petition said: “We request that before implementing such significant changes, the council conducts thorough research and analysis on local accident data, road conditions, and traffic flow patterns.”
They have also argued the rollout is an inefficient use of resources, may result in more congestion, disrupt emergency services, and lead to longer journey times. There are also concerns it “may divert police resources from addressing more pressing issues such as anti-social behaviour or serious crimes within our community.”
He also said: “Studies have shown that simply reducing speed limits does not necessarily lead to a significant decrease in accidents or fatalities unless combined with other road safety measures like improved signage visibility, pedestrian crossings enhancements, or driver education campaigns.”
This is echoed by a Transport Research Laboratory report that showed sign-only schemes only saw speeds reduced by 1km per hour compared to an average of 4km per hour in zones with traffic calming measures. Wirral Council has said such measures would only be considered after signs and lines were installed.
A report by the Department for Transport in 2018 said 20mph zones were most appropriate for quieter streets where people would likely comply with the new rules and police enforcement was key to ensure speeds reduced.
For journey times, most only increase by 1 minute when zones are rolled out according to the Welsh Government. Wirral Council has also said there would be little impact on buses and no anticipated impact on taxi fares.
A January report on the first phase of the scheme said a feasibility study had been done with automatic traffic counts at 200 locations across the Wirral before the rollout began. The report said when planning the rollout, “consideration was given to the feel of the area, what amenities it contains, assessing the impact on surrounding roads and potential collision reduction.”
Environment committee chair Cllr Liz Grey on July 24 said the policy was agreed by the environment committee and at a full council meeting, adding: “It is accepted that 20mph saves lives and that any delays for drivers are likely to be around one minute per person per day.
“With car crashes being the main killer of children and young people as well as a significant cause of death and injury for adults, I would suggest that a minute’s delay is a small price to pay for saving lives.”
She said the consultation had been advertised on local press, social media, emails to residents and on our website, adding: “Results are not ignored. This was not a referendum and all objections were noted and responded to, and where appropriate informed further planning.
“However objections must be valid on the grounds of traffic movement and access and cannot simply be because people do not simply want something.”
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/opposition-grows-new-petition-launched-27461139
Spike
Nov 16, 2023, 4:55:52 PM11/16/23
to
Simon Mason <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Opposition to Wirral’s new 20mph zones is growing louder as a new
> petition calls for Wirral Council to reverse its plans.
> Opposition to Wirral’s new 20mph zones is growing louder as a new
> petition calls for Wirral Council to reverse its plans.
> A study looking at the Portsmouth scheme did find perceptions were mixed
> with 54% saying there had been no change in people’s speed but 40% said
> they had dropped. However, decreases in casualties on roads in Portsmouth
> was 8% more than the national average.
Well, well… in the case of Portsmouth, 60% of the new 20mph zones did not
> with 54% saying there had been no change in people’s speed but 40% said
> they had dropped. However, decreases in casualties on roads in Portsmouth
> was 8% more than the national average.
see a drop in traffic speeds but nonetheless there was an 8% greater
decrease than the national average in casualties.
How do you explain that?
> https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/opposition-grows-new-petition-launched-27461139
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 17, 2023, 2:49:08 AM11/17/23
to
A road in the UK sees more than 8,000 drivers using it each day with over half of them breaking the speed limit.
A staggering 4,320 drivers each day on the A164 Willerby bypass near Hull failed to stick to the 40mph speed limit.
And the nearby Cowick Road in Snaith, in the East Riding of Yorkshire had 79.3 per cent of drivers failing to adhere to the 30mph limit and 3,157 drivers speeding each day.
The average speed by motorists is 40.5mph which is 10mph above the legal limit.
It comes as rules around breaking the speed limit were changed in a so-called ‘stealth’ move that has seen thousands of drivers face fines.
The Met Police slashed its speed tolerance by 1mph, triggering a reported 259 per cent increase in the number of drivers who will be punished for breaking the speed limit.
Driving at any speed over the limit is illegal but police guidelines previously stipulated that drivers should be given some leeway.
Guidelines used the formula that motorists wouldn’t face action unless they broke the speed limit by ten per cent plus 3mph.
But the Met quietly dropped to 10 per cent plus 2mph.
Under the ten per cent plus 3mph rule you could drive 25mph in a 20mph zone before facing punishment.
Under the Met Police's change, a motorist in a 20mph limit can now expect to get away with driving at 24mph before they receive a fixed penalty or are sent on a speed awareness course.
Around 347,000 drivers have been warned they will be prosecuted for speeding in the first six months of 2022.
A Met Police spokesman said: “Posted speed limits are the maximum speed that road users should travel at any time ... irrespective of the speed threshold that police commence enforcement action.”
However the change only applies to the Met Police and other forces such as Lancashire Police, still use the ‘plus 3mph’ formula.
However, despite this enforcement across the country could become stricter with the National Police Chiefs Council saying they intended to review its guidance.
A staggering 4,320 drivers each day on the A164 Willerby bypass near Hull failed to stick to the 40mph speed limit.
And the nearby Cowick Road in Snaith, in the East Riding of Yorkshire had 79.3 per cent of drivers failing to adhere to the 30mph limit and 3,157 drivers speeding each day.
The average speed by motorists is 40.5mph which is 10mph above the legal limit.
It comes as rules around breaking the speed limit were changed in a so-called ‘stealth’ move that has seen thousands of drivers face fines.
The Met Police slashed its speed tolerance by 1mph, triggering a reported 259 per cent increase in the number of drivers who will be punished for breaking the speed limit.
Driving at any speed over the limit is illegal but police guidelines previously stipulated that drivers should be given some leeway.
Guidelines used the formula that motorists wouldn’t face action unless they broke the speed limit by ten per cent plus 3mph.
But the Met quietly dropped to 10 per cent plus 2mph.
Under the ten per cent plus 3mph rule you could drive 25mph in a 20mph zone before facing punishment.
Under the Met Police's change, a motorist in a 20mph limit can now expect to get away with driving at 24mph before they receive a fixed penalty or are sent on a speed awareness course.
Around 347,000 drivers have been warned they will be prosecuted for speeding in the first six months of 2022.
A Met Police spokesman said: “Posted speed limits are the maximum speed that road users should travel at any time ... irrespective of the speed threshold that police commence enforcement action.”
However the change only applies to the Met Police and other forces such as Lancashire Police, still use the ‘plus 3mph’ formula.
However, despite this enforcement across the country could become stricter with the National Police Chiefs Council saying they intended to review its guidance.
JNugent
Nov 17, 2023, 5:39:22 AM11/17/23
to
On 17/11/2023 07:49 am, Simon Mason wrote:
> A road in the UK sees more than 8,000 drivers using it each day with over half of them breaking the speed limit.
>
> A staggering 4,320 drivers each day on the A164 Willerby bypass near Hull failed to stick to the 40mph speed limit.
>
> And the nearby Cowick Road in Snaith, in the East Riding of Yorkshire had 79.3 per cent of drivers failing to adhere to the 30mph limit and 3,157 drivers speeding each day.
>
> The average speed by motorists is 40.5mph which is 10mph above the legal limit.
>
> It comes as rules around breaking the speed limit were changed in a so-called ‘stealth’ move that has seen thousands of drivers face fines.
>
> The Met Police slashed its speed tolerance by 1mph, triggering a reported 259 per cent increase in the number of drivers who will be punished for breaking the speed limit.
>
> Driving at any speed over the limit is illegal but police guidelines previously stipulated that drivers should be given some leeway.
>
> Guidelines used the formula that motorists wouldn’t face action unless they broke the speed limit by ten per cent plus 3mph.
>
> But the Met quietly dropped to 10 per cent plus 2mph.
It has been that = 110% + 2 - for some years. ACPO guidance.
> A road in the UK sees more than 8,000 drivers using it each day with over half of them breaking the speed limit.
>
> A staggering 4,320 drivers each day on the A164 Willerby bypass near Hull failed to stick to the 40mph speed limit.
>
> And the nearby Cowick Road in Snaith, in the East Riding of Yorkshire had 79.3 per cent of drivers failing to adhere to the 30mph limit and 3,157 drivers speeding each day.
>
> The average speed by motorists is 40.5mph which is 10mph above the legal limit.
>
> It comes as rules around breaking the speed limit were changed in a so-called ‘stealth’ move that has seen thousands of drivers face fines.
>
> The Met Police slashed its speed tolerance by 1mph, triggering a reported 259 per cent increase in the number of drivers who will be punished for breaking the speed limit.
>
> Driving at any speed over the limit is illegal but police guidelines previously stipulated that drivers should be given some leeway.
>
> Guidelines used the formula that motorists wouldn’t face action unless they broke the speed limit by ten per cent plus 3mph.
>
> But the Met quietly dropped to 10 per cent plus 2mph.
Spike
Nov 17, 2023, 5:55:12 AM11/17/23
to
JNugent <jnu...@mail.com> wrote:
> On 17/11/2023 07:49 am, Simon Mason wrote:
>> A road in the UK sees more than 8,000 drivers using it each day with
>> over half of them breaking the speed limit.
>>
>> A staggering 4,320 drivers each day on the A164 Willerby bypass near
>> Hull failed to stick to the 40mph speed limit.
>>
>> And the nearby Cowick Road in Snaith, in the East Riding of Yorkshire
>> had 79.3 per cent of drivers failing to adhere to the 30mph limit and
>> 3,157 drivers speeding each day.
>>
>> The average speed by motorists is 40.5mph which is 10mph above the legal limit.
>>
>> It comes as rules around breaking the speed limit were changed in a
>> so-called ‘stealth’ move that has seen thousands of drivers face fines.
>>
>> The Met Police slashed its speed tolerance by 1mph, triggering a
>> reported 259 per cent increase in the number of drivers who will be
>> punished for breaking the speed limit.
>>
>> Driving at any speed over the limit is illegal but police guidelines
>> previously stipulated that drivers should be given some leeway.
>> Guidelines used the formula that motorists wouldn’t face action unless
>> they broke the speed limit by ten per cent plus 3mph.
>> But the Met quietly dropped to 10 per cent plus 2mph.
> It has been that = 110% + 2 - for some years. ACPO guidance.
Yes, it’s been set at that for quite some time - this seems like another
> On 17/11/2023 07:49 am, Simon Mason wrote:
>> A road in the UK sees more than 8,000 drivers using it each day with
>> over half of them breaking the speed limit.
>>
>> A staggering 4,320 drivers each day on the A164 Willerby bypass near
>> Hull failed to stick to the 40mph speed limit.
>>
>> And the nearby Cowick Road in Snaith, in the East Riding of Yorkshire
>> had 79.3 per cent of drivers failing to adhere to the 30mph limit and
>> 3,157 drivers speeding each day.
>>
>> The average speed by motorists is 40.5mph which is 10mph above the legal limit.
>>
>> It comes as rules around breaking the speed limit were changed in a
>> so-called ‘stealth’ move that has seen thousands of drivers face fines.
>>
>> The Met Police slashed its speed tolerance by 1mph, triggering a
>> reported 259 per cent increase in the number of drivers who will be
>> punished for breaking the speed limit.
>>
>> Driving at any speed over the limit is illegal but police guidelines
>> previously stipulated that drivers should be given some leeway.
>> Guidelines used the formula that motorists wouldn’t face action unless
>> they broke the speed limit by ten per cent plus 3mph.
>> But the Met quietly dropped to 10 per cent plus 2mph.
> It has been that = 110% + 2 - for some years. ACPO guidance.
one of Mason’s non-cycling non-stories.
--
Spike
Simon Mason
Nov 17, 2023, 6:44:43 AM11/17/23
to
Police in Burnley have issued parking and speeding tickets as part of an enforcement crackdown.
Officers in the Queensgate area of the town were joined by ticket enforcement officers on patrol last week, resulting in three parking tickets being issued.
They also carried out speed gun checks along Colne Road and Briercliffe Road and handed out eight speeding tickets to driver exceeding the limit.
Neighbourhood inspector for Burnley Rob Grey said: “We are continuing to work closely with out partners to carry out activity and community concerns raised to us.
“We are committed to engaging with our communities and would encourage people to keep reporting issues to us by taking our Lancashire Talking survey.
"They can also sign up to In The Know to receive updates about their area.”
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23920326.burnley-speeding-parking-tickets-issued-crackdown/
Officers in the Queensgate area of the town were joined by ticket enforcement officers on patrol last week, resulting in three parking tickets being issued.
They also carried out speed gun checks along Colne Road and Briercliffe Road and handed out eight speeding tickets to driver exceeding the limit.
Neighbourhood inspector for Burnley Rob Grey said: “We are continuing to work closely with out partners to carry out activity and community concerns raised to us.
“We are committed to engaging with our communities and would encourage people to keep reporting issues to us by taking our Lancashire Talking survey.
"They can also sign up to In The Know to receive updates about their area.”
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23920326.burnley-speeding-parking-tickets-issued-crackdown/
JNugent
Nov 17, 2023, 10:21:21 AM11/17/23
to
On 17/11/2023 11:44 am, Simon Mason wrote:
> Police in Burnley have issued parking and speeding tickets as part of an enforcement crackdown.
>
> Officers in the Queensgate area of the town were joined by ticket enforcement officers on patrol last week, resulting in three parking tickets being issued.
Parking on yellow lines is fair game. Ditto for parking in an
> Police in Burnley have issued parking and speeding tickets as part of an enforcement crackdown.
>
> Officers in the Queensgate area of the town were joined by ticket enforcement officers on patrol last week, resulting in three parking tickets being issued.
obstructive position (eg, across driveways).
Simon Mason
Nov 17, 2023, 11:31:15 AM11/17/23
to
THE police have made one arrest and issued more than a dozen tickets or warnings after carrying out a roads policing operation at communities in the Wharfe Valley.
In addition to a drugs arrest and a car seizure, the Roads Policing Unit worked with the Leeds North West Neighbourhood Policing Team to also issue six speeding tickets.
A spokesperson for the Leeds North West NPT said: "On Monday, colleagues from the Roads Policing Unit worked alongside NPT Officers to patrol Horsforth, Adel, Holt Park, Tinshill, Weetwood, Bramhope and Rawdon."
Results included: Six speeding tickets issued, two warnings for speed, two tickets for having an expired MOT, one vehicle seized for driving without insurance, one ticket for no insurance, one ticket for driving without a seatbelt, one ticket for having excessively tinted windows and one person arrested for driving whilst over the prescribed limit for drugs.
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23930551.dozen-tickets-handed-road-policing-operation/
In addition to a drugs arrest and a car seizure, the Roads Policing Unit worked with the Leeds North West Neighbourhood Policing Team to also issue six speeding tickets.
A spokesperson for the Leeds North West NPT said: "On Monday, colleagues from the Roads Policing Unit worked alongside NPT Officers to patrol Horsforth, Adel, Holt Park, Tinshill, Weetwood, Bramhope and Rawdon."
Results included: Six speeding tickets issued, two warnings for speed, two tickets for having an expired MOT, one vehicle seized for driving without insurance, one ticket for no insurance, one ticket for driving without a seatbelt, one ticket for having excessively tinted windows and one person arrested for driving whilst over the prescribed limit for drugs.
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23930551.dozen-tickets-handed-road-policing-operation/
JNugent
Nov 17, 2023, 11:35:16 AM11/17/23
to
Simon Mason
Nov 17, 2023, 11:39:48 AM11/17/23
to
Monday, November 13, 2023
As part of the multi-agency initiative ongoing in the Queensgate area of Burnley, Burnley Police and Burnley Council have continued their commitment to tackling issues raised to them by residents.
This week officers have been joined by Ticket Enforcement officers on patrol, resulting in several parking tickets being issued to cars parked inappropriately. Officers also carried out speed gun checks along Colne Road and Briercliffe Road.
In total, three parking tickets were issued and eight speeding tickets were issued to drivers exceeding the speed limit.
Neighbourhood Inspector for Burnley, Rob Grey, said: “We are continuing to work closely with our partners to carry out activity around community concerns raised to us.
“We are committed to engaging with our communities and would encourage people to keep reporting issues to us by taking our Lancashire Talking survey. They can also sign up to In The Know to receive updates about your area.”
As part of the multi-agency initiative ongoing in the Queensgate area of Burnley, Burnley Police and Burnley Council have continued their commitment to tackling issues raised to them by residents.
This week officers have been joined by Ticket Enforcement officers on patrol, resulting in several parking tickets being issued to cars parked inappropriately. Officers also carried out speed gun checks along Colne Road and Briercliffe Road.
In total, three parking tickets were issued and eight speeding tickets were issued to drivers exceeding the speed limit.
Neighbourhood Inspector for Burnley, Rob Grey, said: “We are continuing to work closely with our partners to carry out activity around community concerns raised to us.
“We are committed to engaging with our communities and would encourage people to keep reporting issues to us by taking our Lancashire Talking survey. They can also sign up to In The Know to receive updates about your area.”
Simon Mason
Nov 17, 2023, 11:42:03 AM11/17/23
to
Swansea criminals were involved in a nation-wide scam to make speeding tickets "go away" by naming innocent drivers as the guilty motorists. The fraudsters were selling details of genuine people to drivers who had been caught speeding and who wanted to avoid a fine and points on their licence - those innocent people end up getting prosecuted at courts across in England and Wales without their knowledge.
The criminal operation - known as a "Nip farms" or "Notice of Intended Prosecution farms" - was detailed at Swansea Crown Court after a barber was caught using the trick to try to avoid being done for speeding. The driver has been jailed for attempting to pervert the course of justice while the innocent man he named ended up losing his driving licence and his job, and being chased by bailiffs and debt collectors.
Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said on April 21, 2021, a Toyota Yaris was caught by a speed camera on Glanmor Road in the Sketty area of Swansea doing 35mph in the 30mph zone. The registered keeper of the car was Diyar Ali and a notice of intended prosecution or Nip was sent to his home address in Tenby asking for details of who had been driving. The court heard Ali provided a false name and details, and gave the man's address as being on St Alban's Road in the Brynmill area of Swansea. The person he named was a genuine driver though he actually lived in Eastbourne is Sussex. The prosecutor said a letter was sent to the St Alban's Road address where a person "purporting to be the named individual" signed it, and then returned it. A fixed penalty notice was sent to St Alban's Road but when it went unanswered the matter was prosecuted in the absence of the named driver and he was fined £220 and had three points put on his licence.
The court heard heard that on February 27, 2022, another Toyota Yaris was caught on camera speeding on the A40 just west of Carmarthen doing 64mph in the 50mph zone. A Nip was sent to the registered keeper of this vehicle - Ali gain - and he supplied the same false name as on the previous occasion, but this time giving the address as a house on St Helen's Avenue in Swansea. Again a person at the Swansea house signed the resulting notice and failed to respond to the fixed penalty leading to a prosecution and conviction in absence, and to another £220 fine and three points on the innocent Sussex driver's licence.
The prosecutor said in October 2022 the Safety Camera Partnership and Dyfed-Powys Police became concerned about the Swansea addresses being provided in Nips documents, and launched an investigation. Enquiries showed that the properties were houses of multiple occupation being used to house asylum seekers, and the driver named by Ali had never lived in either. Mr Pulling said as the investigation continued it emerged the houses were so-called "Nip farms" operated by people who, for a fee, would provide details of real drivers to motorists who wanted to avoid being prosecuted. He said the Nip farms were being advertised on social media platforms such as TikTok. It is thought Ali paid around £300 for the services of the Swansea Nip farm. Read about the ridiculous lengths some drivers go to avoid speeding tickets
The court heard the driver named by Ali was tracked down to Eastbourne and it emerged he was a multiple victim who had been convicted in absence at courts around England and Wales. As a result of the work of the Nip farm the delivery driver had lost his driving licence and job, been left in debt, was being chased by debt collectors, and had his car seized by bailiffs. In a statement to the court he said the whole experience of being wrongfully convicted and everything that followed had had a significant impact on his mental health.
Mr Pulling said Ali was spoken to by police but continued the lie, saying he had sold the cars caught on camera to the Eastbourne driver and maintaining his insistence that he had not been driving on either occasion. His denials led police to examine mobile phone data, automatic number plate recognition cameras, and work records which all showed the innocent Sussex driver had been nowhere near Wales on the days in question - indeed, at the time Ali claimed the man had been driving on the outskirts of Carmarthen he had, in fact, been making a delivery in Brighton. The court heard phone data showed Ali's mobile had co-located with the Yaris cars and the speed cameras on the relevant days, while DVLA records showed he had been the registered keeper of the vehicles not only on the dates in question but for many months afterwards.
Diyar Ali, aged 30, of St Mary’s Street, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions in the UK. The court heard checks had been made on the Iraqi-national's immigration status which showed his application for asylum had been refused but he had been granted temporary humanitarian permission to remain, permission he will have to reapply for this December.
Jon Tarrant, for Ali, said at the time of the offending the defendant had not realised the serious nature and impact of his offending, and had entered into the arrangement "with an element of naivety". He said since arriving in the UK his client had been "essentially looked after" by friends who helped him with issues such as dealing with mail and official matters, and had who had also found him work in a barbers.
Recorder Mark Powell KC told Ali that attempting to pervert the course of justice was a serious offence, and he said it was clear that using the services of somebody offering to "make the speeding offence go away" had led to serious consequences for a wholly innocent driver. The judge said in coming to the appropriate sentence he was mindful of the defendant's mental health difficulties but he noted a report had concluded those issues were linked to his use of cannabis and was "likely to be drug-induced psychosis". With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Ali was sentenced to eight months in prison - the defendant will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Ali was disqualified from driving for 12 months, and the ban was extended by an additional four months to account for the time he will be behind bars.
The criminal operation - known as a "Nip farms" or "Notice of Intended Prosecution farms" - was detailed at Swansea Crown Court after a barber was caught using the trick to try to avoid being done for speeding. The driver has been jailed for attempting to pervert the course of justice while the innocent man he named ended up losing his driving licence and his job, and being chased by bailiffs and debt collectors.
Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said on April 21, 2021, a Toyota Yaris was caught by a speed camera on Glanmor Road in the Sketty area of Swansea doing 35mph in the 30mph zone. The registered keeper of the car was Diyar Ali and a notice of intended prosecution or Nip was sent to his home address in Tenby asking for details of who had been driving. The court heard Ali provided a false name and details, and gave the man's address as being on St Alban's Road in the Brynmill area of Swansea. The person he named was a genuine driver though he actually lived in Eastbourne is Sussex. The prosecutor said a letter was sent to the St Alban's Road address where a person "purporting to be the named individual" signed it, and then returned it. A fixed penalty notice was sent to St Alban's Road but when it went unanswered the matter was prosecuted in the absence of the named driver and he was fined £220 and had three points put on his licence.
The court heard heard that on February 27, 2022, another Toyota Yaris was caught on camera speeding on the A40 just west of Carmarthen doing 64mph in the 50mph zone. A Nip was sent to the registered keeper of this vehicle - Ali gain - and he supplied the same false name as on the previous occasion, but this time giving the address as a house on St Helen's Avenue in Swansea. Again a person at the Swansea house signed the resulting notice and failed to respond to the fixed penalty leading to a prosecution and conviction in absence, and to another £220 fine and three points on the innocent Sussex driver's licence.
The prosecutor said in October 2022 the Safety Camera Partnership and Dyfed-Powys Police became concerned about the Swansea addresses being provided in Nips documents, and launched an investigation. Enquiries showed that the properties were houses of multiple occupation being used to house asylum seekers, and the driver named by Ali had never lived in either. Mr Pulling said as the investigation continued it emerged the houses were so-called "Nip farms" operated by people who, for a fee, would provide details of real drivers to motorists who wanted to avoid being prosecuted. He said the Nip farms were being advertised on social media platforms such as TikTok. It is thought Ali paid around £300 for the services of the Swansea Nip farm. Read about the ridiculous lengths some drivers go to avoid speeding tickets
The court heard the driver named by Ali was tracked down to Eastbourne and it emerged he was a multiple victim who had been convicted in absence at courts around England and Wales. As a result of the work of the Nip farm the delivery driver had lost his driving licence and job, been left in debt, was being chased by debt collectors, and had his car seized by bailiffs. In a statement to the court he said the whole experience of being wrongfully convicted and everything that followed had had a significant impact on his mental health.
Mr Pulling said Ali was spoken to by police but continued the lie, saying he had sold the cars caught on camera to the Eastbourne driver and maintaining his insistence that he had not been driving on either occasion. His denials led police to examine mobile phone data, automatic number plate recognition cameras, and work records which all showed the innocent Sussex driver had been nowhere near Wales on the days in question - indeed, at the time Ali claimed the man had been driving on the outskirts of Carmarthen he had, in fact, been making a delivery in Brighton. The court heard phone data showed Ali's mobile had co-located with the Yaris cars and the speed cameras on the relevant days, while DVLA records showed he had been the registered keeper of the vehicles not only on the dates in question but for many months afterwards.
Diyar Ali, aged 30, of St Mary’s Street, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions in the UK. The court heard checks had been made on the Iraqi-national's immigration status which showed his application for asylum had been refused but he had been granted temporary humanitarian permission to remain, permission he will have to reapply for this December.
Jon Tarrant, for Ali, said at the time of the offending the defendant had not realised the serious nature and impact of his offending, and had entered into the arrangement "with an element of naivety". He said since arriving in the UK his client had been "essentially looked after" by friends who helped him with issues such as dealing with mail and official matters, and had who had also found him work in a barbers.
Recorder Mark Powell KC told Ali that attempting to pervert the course of justice was a serious offence, and he said it was clear that using the services of somebody offering to "make the speeding offence go away" had led to serious consequences for a wholly innocent driver. The judge said in coming to the appropriate sentence he was mindful of the defendant's mental health difficulties but he noted a report had concluded those issues were linked to his use of cannabis and was "likely to be drug-induced psychosis". With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Ali was sentenced to eight months in prison - the defendant will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Ali was disqualified from driving for 12 months, and the ban was extended by an additional four months to account for the time he will be behind bars.
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