Agenda item

To outline the activities of the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service Prevention and Protection activity relating to Fire and Road Traffic Collisions.

Witnesses:

Iain Houseman, Area Commander, Surrey Fire Rescue Service, Protection and Prevention

Declarations of interest:

None

Key points of the discussion:

1. The Officer introduced the report by highlighting that Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have a statutory duty to educate and advise people who reside, travel and work in Surrey on prevention of fire and road traffic collisions.

2. The Board were informed that the SFRS have been working with the Drive Smart Board, taking on a multi-agency approach to deal with road traffic collisions.

3. It was highlighted that Surrey has a growing and ageing population and a road network that carries twice the average number of vehicles. Statistics from Surreyi indicate that there are 679 killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties on Surrey roads in 2015.

4. It was noted that minor injuries was also included in the KSI category and the statistics tabled at the meeting today did not include pedestrians (these statistics are attached as Annex A)

5. In carrying out prevention work, the Officer informed the Board of the various programmes that are delivered, these include the Safe Drive Stay Alive, Ride it Right and Biker Down. Through this work, the SFRS Prevention Team has successfully raised £1.4 million in sponsorship and were seeking to raise furthermore sponsors to ensure the prevention work is maintained.

6. Members were informed that casualty figures have significantly dropped across the 10 years since prevention work was established. However due to the legacy of the Olympics being held in Surrey in 2012, and the continued annual Ride London event, there has been a 200% rise in pedal cyclists KSI.

7. The Officer identified road users, including pedal cyclists, who were wearing head phones, electric cars being very silent, and Surrey’s complex road network as contributing factors to collisions and causalities.

Mary Angell left the meeting 12:15pm

8. There was a further discussion around the programmes used to deliver prevention campaigns and the Officer indicated that, Ride it Right was gaining traction however more support was.

9. It was highlighted that the Safe Drive Stay Alive programme was very successful and had been recognised with national awards. It was explained that the drop in attendance in 2013/14 was due to the introduction of an attendance fee, which had been subsequently addressed in later years. The Officer stressed that it was important to promote awareness and attract further sponsorship so secure the programme to continue.

10. A Member queried whether the launch of the Pokémon Go app had presented a problem in Surrey, as there had been reports in the media that individuals, whilst trying to catch them all, where running out onto roads to catch virtual Pokémon. The Officer assured the Board that these reports were not a reflection on incidents in Surrey, and were not reflected in Surrey’s statistics.

11. The Board noted concerns raised by Members regarding pedal cyclists not using dedicated cycle lanes and going through red lights, and queried what work was being done to educate and monitor the issue. The Cabinet Associate for Community Safety Services advised that the Drive Smart Board were targeting cyclist with campaigns to advertise and raise awareness surrounding these concerns.

Recommendations:

That the Board supports the activities of the SFRS Prevention Team.

Actions:

None