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RoadPeace press release
14 January 2007
Reduced motorway speed limit needed---
for people and planet's sake
The research reporting higher motorway speeds to be more
efficient is outdated and out of touch. Two major flaws include its
underestimation of the economic costs of crashes and its exclusion
of environmental impacts. RoadPeace, the national charity for road
crash victims has campaigned on both these issues.
The cost of crashes is based on the notion of a 'single
statistical life' as if a road death or serious injury does not
affect family or friends. The estimation of the economic impact of
a road death or serious injury does not include any consideration
of the effect it has on others. RoadPeace, whose members include
many bereaved parents and partners, knows the reality is that many
of those bereaved from road crashes do not ever return to work.
Brigitte Chaudhry, RoadPeace founder and President of the
European Federation of Road Traffic Victim Association notes:
Our research in the mid 90's highlighted the economic and
emotional devastation to families caused by road death and serious
injury. That this is still being excluded from the DfT calculations
ten years later is shameful.
RoadPeace has also called for all Department of Transport
policies and programmes to be 'climate proofed' to ensure all
impacts on climate change are considered and mitigated. RoadPeace
agrees with Sir David King, the Government's Chief Scientist, that
climate change is the most important challenge facing the country
and world overall.
Amy Aeron-Thomas, RoadPeace Director, warns
'Yet another example of the lack of joined-up
thinking in government policy. Other and much more sensible
government reports have highlighted the benefits of reducing the
motorway speed limit to 60 mph.
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