Witnesses:
Iain Houseman, Area Commander,
Surrey Fire Rescue Service, Protection and Prevention
Declarations of interest:
None
Key
points of the discussion:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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