Road safety and calming measures

We seek to moderate the speed of vehicles using our highways with the support of the Police where necessary. We understand public concern regarding road safety issues and as such, we continually monitor road collision records to identify locations where traffic collisions occur. If there are a large number of collisions or a pattern of similar incidents, the location will be investigated to see if safety improvements can be made.

The council’s priority, in line with our Local Implementation Plan, is to reduce killed and serious injury collisions (KSIs) by making improvements in the roads where accidents are actually occurring, rather than perceived risk. However, if low cost measures can be introduced to reduce road danger, these will be considered to help encourage residents to feel able to choose how to travel and to improve quality of life.

The accident record for any road in the borough is available at www.crashmap.co.uk.

Speed humps

Since 2002, our policy for vertical speed reduction installations (road humps) has determined that schemes should only include vertical deflections in extreme circumstances due to their negative impact on emergency services and air pollution.  Existing road humps in the borough were installed prior to this date.

Safety cameras

Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for speed cameras or red-light cameras across the whole of the Greater London area.  Faults or maintenance issues can be reported to TfL directly.

Speeding traffic

Speeding or dangerous driving is an offence punishable by law and enforced by the Police. TfL work in partnership with the police to run Community Roadwatch; a road safety initiative which aims to reduce speeding in residential areas.

Width restriction

The width restrictions in the borough are in place to prevent large goods vehicles from using certain routes and are not there for safety reasons.  No new permanent width restrictions have been installed for over 20 years and there are currently no proposals to review or remove any that are currently in-situ.

Mirrors

New mirrors are not permitted on the highway and are not covered by regulation.   Until June 2013, every single mirror required special authorisation by the Department for Transport (DfT).  However, the DfT no longer accept applications for mirrors and we do not install them.

Repeater 30mph signs

Where street lighting is present and is no more than 183 metres apart, the road is subject to a 30mph speed limit and 30mph repeater signs are not required.  Further information about speed limits is available in The Highway Code.

Casualty reduction schemes

All casualty reduction schemes go through a consultation process and support for the schemes must be gained from the Portfolio Holder and Ward Councillors, and can involve wider consultation. Any objections raised during the process may cause delays to the scheme being implemented, a change to the design or costs and may potentially cause the scheme to be rejected. Schemes are prioritised on the likely number of casualties saved per pound spent. This enables the council to ensure that the maximum number of injuries and deaths are prevented within finite budgets.

 

If you wish to contact us, please complete our traffic enquiry contact form.