THE WALES ROAD CASUALTY REDUCTION PARTNERSHIP ANNUAL REPORT 2013/2014

Transcription

1 THE WALES ROAD CASUALTY REDUCTION PARTNERSHIP ANNUAL REPORT 2013/2014

2 contents 3 Introduction 4 Executive Summary Partnership Achievements Operations Activity OFFENCE RESOLUTIONS community concern sites 12 ENFORCEMENT DURING 2013/ Operational Costs 16 Communications and Marketing and Beyond 2

3 INTRODUCTION Dr Tim Peppin Chair, The Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership I am pleased to present the fifth Annual Report on behalf of the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership (GoSafe). The Partnership has had to deal with change throughout its existence and 2013/14 was no different. In the face of continued pressure to reduce costs, the value of the Partnership was evidenced. The partners pulled together to maintain a high profile cost effective service, whilst achieving an increase in front line presence. The GoSafe team has made significant improvements, all contributing to the overall aim of making people safer on Welsh roads. They include: better targeting of resources to ensure camera deployment is used to maximum effect ensuring all necessary steps are taken so that enforcement work is effective (e.g. making sure the necessary road markings and signage are in place) educational work to change driver behaviour targeting of communications at the most at risk groups ensuring best practice is identified and informs consistent policies and procedures across Wales keeping up to date with technological change and, where appropriate, introducing new technology through a phased programme of capital upgrades. Whilst the impact of safety cameras has come under scrutiny, the Partnership s response has been to learn from the questioning and seek to improve the sophistication with which we measure their impact. This work is ongoing and I would like to record my thanks to all the staff involved. I have been impressed with the continual improvements being made to the Partnership s operations, tightening up wherever issues are identified and continually adapting as circumstances change. That approach and attitude will help continue to deliver required outcomes, contributing to the goals in the Road Safety Framework for Wales. Dr Tim Peppin 3

4 executive summary In July 2013, the Road Safety Framework for Wales was published by the Welsh Government. The paper sets challenging targets for Local and Welsh Government and their partner organisations to achieve the following reductions in killed and seriously injured (KSI) casualties by 2020, compared with the 2004 to 2008 average:- A 40% reduction in the total number of people KSI on Welsh roads. A 40% reduction in the number of young people (aged 16 to 24 yrs) KSI on Welsh roads. A 25% reduction in the number of motorcyclists KSI on Welsh Roads. Evidence shows that frequency and severity of collisions rises with speed, and the Partnership continues to recognise that if these targets are to be achieved, speed management strategies and successful operational delivery within the context of communication programmes, education and enforcement are essential. The Welsh Government and ACPO (Cymru) continue to provide strong financial support to the Partnership, reflected in a Government grant of 2.08m for 2013 / 2014, with the remaining funding required being derived from Speed Awareness Course completions. Tight monitoring and financial control throughout the year resulted in all expenditure being met, without recourse to an additional funding provision set aside by Welsh Government. Our focus for 2013/2014 changed from previous years, and is typified by the concept that There are no enforcement free times and there are no enforcement free locations. Whilst our operational activity continued to concentrate on core sites; those with a disproportionately high number of KSI and clear evidence of excess speed, we also took the opportunity to impact a broader section of the road network, to both reinforce the wider message and provide support for local community speeding issues. Significantly, mobile enforcement activity was also extended to cover the full 24 hr period of the day, operating in full darkness environments, supported by structured media messages. Our operational planning of enforcement and other activity was also more cohesive, working to a predetermined programme, linked to national campaigns promoted for example by ACPO(Cymru), and TISPOL. In 2013, a father and son received 5 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months for perverting the course of justice due to a speeding offence In total, 145,892 Notices of Intended Prosecution (NIP s) were sent out in 2013 and of those 91% were followed through to an appropriate resolution within the criminal justice system, including 48% of offenders attending a Speed Awareness Course. The development of a performance culture within the Partnership has been a key principle of our work for 2013 / 2014, and although there is still more to be done to demonstrate the robustness of our analysis methodology in relation to collision reduction, we are confident that our work has continued to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Partnership structure in reducing road collisions on Welsh roads. We look forward to the challenges that lie ahead. 4

5 PARTNERSHIP ACHIEVEMENTS MR CHRIS HUME Partnership Manager, The Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership As with any organisation in today s climate, achieving more for less is not only desirable but essential if we are to continue to demonstrate our ability to impact on death and injury on Welsh roads. The task becomes much more difficult as casualty figures continue to fall overall, and prioritising locations on which to focus becomes less clear. It is for this reason that we reviewed our deployment strategy, and successfully delivered a number of operational initiatives, including: Operation Night Owl Our commitment to enforce during the hours of darkness at high profile locations Operation Sunrise An initiative to manage higher vehicle speeds apparent on the road network prior to rush hour traffic build up. Operation Darwen / Focus Our support for the all Wales motorcycle casualty reduction programme, aimed at the strategic road network predominantly over weekend periods. Operation Wales and Back A targeted campaign covering the traditional holiday period during which there is a large influx of traffic into Wales Mobile Phone / Seat Belt Offences Expanding our sphere of influence across other Fatal Five offences In total we delivered more than 26,000 hours of mobile enforcement across the road network, with mobile operators visible to the public on the roads for more than 80% of their working time. A formal Tasking and Coordinating function was also put in place across the four police forces, ensuring activity was more structured, and that equally, we supported the ACPO (Cymru) initiatives, those promoted by TISPOL, and those coordinated by Road Safety Wales. It also allowed for the communications programme to add value to these operations. Significant improvements were also delivered to our fixed site camera infrastructure, not just in terms of new systems going live, such as the A465 Heads of the Valleys Average Speed System and Speed on Green cameras in Bridgend, but also with the help of Local Authorities the operational availability of our existing infrastructure across Wales was transformed, showing that at the end of the year 64 % of our digital housings were operationally capable. In looking to the future, we also organised and hosted the first UK conference on Camera Technology of the Future. Partnership professionalism was also part of our focus and all our Mobile Operators are now qualified to Level 3 BTEC Advanced Award in Road Safety Enforcement Technology, the first partnership to achieve 100% accreditation in the UK. The All Wales Casualty Reduction Partnership is the largest partnership in the UK, and in that sense our achievements are under close scrutiny by many colleagues within England and Scotland. I believe our achievements stand up to that scrutiny. mr chris hume 5

6 OPERATIONS ACTIVITY There have been a number of operations in Wales including support of long standing motorcycle operations in line with the ACPO (Cymru) agreed operation dates as well as Brake Road Safety Week (distractions in vehicle). Our operational units are encouraged to identify areas where they can positively impact the numbers of collisions in their area. An example of its application is where South Wales Police have been pre-planning Local Authority days into their enforcement strategy, starting with a selection of 2 or 3 Local Authorities based on past collision history. The aim is to have elevated enforcement within the Local Authority area at the most appropriate location on the most suitable day of the week. Once the Local Authority has been selected, sites are allocated for as many as 9 enforcement vehicles within the area. Enforcement activity is conducted from early morning to late evening, with as many as 27 site visits in a single day. The purpose of the Local Authority days is to reinforce the message that road safety applies throughout the entire area and that driving safely, at a safe speed should happen everywhere. Equipment Update Project The Steering Group has agreed an upgrade project for mobile equipment based on a number of recent developments including: Reduction in street lighting in many local authority areas highlighting current equipment limitations for operating in low light/no light conditions. Increased picture quality available with new technology. Ongoing issues with recording offences to DVD such as failure rate and ongoing consumable costs combined with upgrades to existing equipment becoming available to record offences via digital means. Operational risk of having a sole supplier of mobile enforcement technology in event of supplier company failure. Opportunity to investigate potential back office savings as a result of changing supplier. Enhanced night time camera usage, including optional use of infra red technology in order for increased, intelligence led, night time deployment. In 2013, a taxi driver from Bridgend was sentenced to 16 months imprisionment for perverting the course of justice regarding a speeding offence 6

7 OPERATIONS ACTIVITY We have conducted our annual site reviews as far as possible to ensure that enforcement is directed at sites where we can impact on casualties and provide support to communities in encouraging compliance with speed limits. Shown below are the numbers of GoSafe enforcement sites currently located within the following policing areas:- Fixed and Red Light Digital Fixed Speed Dyfed Powys 4 Gwent 1 North Wales 3 South Wales 17 Total 25 Fixed Average Speed South Wales 1 Total 1 Dual Purpose Speed/Red Light Speed on Green South Wales 8 Total 8 Wet Film Fixed Speed Dyfed Powys 16 Gwent 4 North Wales 11 South Wales 113 Total 144 Red Light Gwent 7 South Wales 12 Total 19 Mobile Dyfed Powys 107 Gwent 76 North Wales 108 South Wales 96 Total 387 This is an increase of 25 mobile camera enforcement sites on the previous year. Correct at 16th January

8 OFFENCE RESOLUTIONS 2013 Following detection of a relevant road traffic offence, the task of ensuring that an alleged offender is dealt with appropriately and within the criminal justice system falls to the two Police Central Ticket Offices within Wales. Inevitably, where an offender is not stopped at the time of the alleged offence, a successful case outcome is reliant upon the systems and processes within the Central Ticket Office, together with any personal follow up enquiries to ensure that an offender is traced. There are four case disposal outcomes that are considered a satisfactory resolution, and taken together they demonstrate the effectiveness of the Central Ticket Office process. The four outcomes are: The offender has attended a Speed Awareness Course (SAC) The offender has paid a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) The alleged offender is referred to Court for a Hearing (via a CPS file) The driver is considered exempt by virtue of Section 87 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (emergency service vehicles) For 2013 / 2014, a draft target for the successful resolution of offences was set at 91%. The table shows the resolution rate for all 2013 offences initiated (Notices Created). 8

9 OFFENCE RESOLUTIONS 2013 Data table showing monthly offences and how they were resolved. NOTICES CREATED Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2013 Total Offences No. 8,944 9,849 12,275 15,143 13,996 10,042 13,012 11,606 13,498 11,098 13,837 12, ,892 NOTICES RESOLVED Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2013 No. 4,282 4,756 5,859 7,231 6,798 4,843 6,285 5,563 6,650 5,347 6,757 6,303 70,674 SAC Completions % 48% 48% 48% 48% 49% 48% 48% 48% 49% 48% 49% 50% 48% No. 2,587 2,812 3,648 4,395 4,040 3,123 3,721 3,221 3,693 3,218 3,840 3,298 41,596 FPN Paid % 29% 29% 30% 29% 29% 31% 29% 28% 27% 29% 28% 26% 29% No. 1,123 1,251 1,440 2,006 1,715 1,194 1,703 1,699 1,975 1,604 2,091 1,949 19,750 CPS File % 13% 13% 12% 13% 12% 12% 13% 15% 15% 14% 15% 15% 12% No Exempt (Sec 87 RTRA 1984) % 0% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 0% 0% 1% 1% 1% No. 8,033 8,880 11,013 13,757 12,623 9,234 11,796 10,549 12,364 10,213 12,811 11,658 13,929 Total Resolved % 90% 90% 90% 91% 90% 92% 91% 91% 92% 92% 93% 93% 91% Target Resolved (proposed) % 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% 91% Variance No % -1% -1% -1% 0% -1% 1% 0% 0% 1% 1% 2% 2% 0% 9

10 COMMUNITY CONCERN SITES The table belows shows speed changes and community site numbers by local authority areas. Local Authority/ County Roads Difference in the Mean Speeds (in mph) at Sites Created before April 2013 Number of Sites Created before April 2013 Hours spent at sites created before April 2013 Number of sites archived during 2013/2014 Number of sites introduced during 2013/2014 Anglesey Blaenau Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy Denbighshire Flintshire Gwynedd Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Neath Port Talbot Newport Pembrokeshire Powys Rhondda Cynon Taff Swansea Torfaen Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham

11 COMMUNITY CONCERN SITES Welsh Government/ Trunk Roads Difference in the Mean Speeds at Sites Created before April 2013 Number of Sites Created before April 2013 Hours spent at sites created before April 2013 Number of sites archived during 2013/2014 Number of sites introduced during 2013/2014 Bridgend Cardiff Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy Denbighshire 1 Gwynedd Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Neath Port Talbot 1 Pembrokeshire Powys Rhondda Cynon Taff 11

12 enforcement during 2013/2014 Local Authority/ County Roads Enforcement Hours at Community Concern Sites Mobile Sites Enforcement Hours at Core Sites % of Enforcement at Community Concern Sites Anglesey % Blaenau % Bridgend % Caerphilly % Cardiff % Carmarthenshire % Ceredigion % Conwy % Denbighshire % Flintshire % Gwynedd % Merthyr Tydfil % Monmouthshire % Neath Port Talbot % Newport % Pembrokeshire % Powys % Rhondda Cynon Taff % Swansea % Torfaen % Vale of Glamorgan % Wrexham % TOTAL 10,642 9,390 53% Welsh Government/ Trunk Roads Mobile Sites Enforcement Hours at Community Concern Sites Enforcement Hours at Core Sites % of Enforcement at Community Concern Sites Bridgend 26 0% Cardiff 75 0% Carmarthenshire 49 0% Ceredigion % Conwy 91 0% Denbighshire 2 100% Gwynedd % Merthyr Tydfil 73 0% Monmouthshire % Neath Port Talbot Pembrokeshire 217 0% Powys % Rhondda Cynon Taff 237 0% TOTAL % 12

13 enforcement during 2013/2014 Local Authority/ County Roads Anglesey Blaenau Fixed Speed Enforcement Days at Core Sites Enforcement Days at Community Concern Sites Bridgend Caerphilly 356 Cardiff Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy 52 Denbighshire 43 Flintshire 1365 Gwynedd Merthyr Tydfil 254 Monmouthshire 210 Neath Port Talbot 260 Newport 447 Pembrokeshire Powys Rhondda Cynon Taff Swansea Torfaen Vale of Glamorgan 591 Wrexham 699 Welsh Government/Trunk Roads Neath Port Talbot 168 Local Authority/ County Roads Anglesey Blaenau Fixed Red Light Enforcement Days at Core Sites Bridgend 308 Caerphilly Cardiff 1593 Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy Denbighshire Flintshire Gwynedd Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Neath Port Talbot Newport 545 Pembrokeshire Powys Rhondda Cynon Taff Swansea 684 Torfaen 290 Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham Welsh Government/Trunk Roads Cardiff 571 Enforcement Days at Community Concern Sites 13

14 OPERATIONAL COSTS The Business Plan submitted by the Partnership to the Welsh Government sought approval for a budget of 5.240M. The Business Plan was approved and the Welsh Government provided a grant of 2.080M with the balance of funding required having to be met from balances and income received in respect of Speed Awareness Course completions. The following table indicates the distribution of the bid to the relevant cost headings. Allocation 2013/ s % Capital Staffing Equipment Maintenance Accommodation Communications & Marketing Other Revenue Costs Total Expenditure

15 OPERATIONAL COSTS The Welsh Government Grant, balance brought forward (from 2012/2013) and Speed Awareness Course Income for for the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership was utilised by the Partnership in accordance with the bids submitted to the Treasurer in relation to funding the core elements of the Partnership. The core elements are: The enforcement units located within the Dyfed-Powys Police, Gwent Police, North Wales Police and South Wales Police areas. The back office operations of the Central Ticket Offices based in North and South Wales. The work undertaken by Her Majesty s Courts and Tribunal Service. The Management Unit of the Partnership, including Communications and Marketing, Speed Surveys and Financial Management. Work has continued during in the area of Performance Management and this has resulted in a continued increase in the performance of the Core Elements of the Partnership. For the Partnership submitted a Business Plan to the Welsh Government, along the same lines as , seeking approval for 5,433m. The increase over is as a result of capital replacements required in year. The Business Plan has received approval and the Welsh Government have provided a grant of 2.550m. The balance of funding required to operate the Partnership is to be provided, with the agreement of ACPO Cymru, from income received from Speed Awareness Courses. As previously, the last year has seen a great deal of work being undertaken in consolidating the work of the Partnership and looking at the way in which the service is delivered in an ever increasingly challenging financial climate. This will continue in in order to achieve the aims of the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership. 15

16 COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Developments are continuing to be put in place to reshape the way in which the Communications & Marketing section promotes driver safety. Education, engineering and enforcement are the tools we use to improve drivers compliance with speed limits, and to increase the understanding of the dangers/consequences of excessive speeding. Every driver has the potential to make a difference by simply observing speed limits and driving appropriately to the prevailing road conditions. With this in mind, the Partnership s marketing campaigns continue to be used across Wales, and are developed to help educate motorists about the importance of adhering to the relevant speed limits. Excessive and inappropriate speed remains a factor in collisions and the associated fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. Our main priority is to continue to educate motorists about the effects of inappropriate speed, with enforcement being the last resort after engineering solutions are considered. To date, the Partnership has used a number of methods to help raise awareness of excessive speeding. In 2013/2014 the Communications & Marketing section have:- Developed interactive online resources Deadly Mates, Wales by Bike and GoSafe websites. Worked with the Ministry of Defence to educate their Younger Driver audience. Worked with the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to promote campaigns throughout their key agencies. Engaged with members of the public regarding their concerns about speeding at various events such as the Royal Welsh Show and Police Open Days. Been involved in operations linking in with ACPO & Tispol such as Nightime Enforcement. Actively been involved in both the Young Persons & Motorcycle Steering Groups Used advertising applications to help target the most vulnerable groups. Exciting challenges remain at the forefront for GoSafe. A number of projects will be developed to market the key messages of the Partnership in new ways, and will help towards reducing the number of collisions and casualties on the roads of Wales. 16

17 2014 and BEyond During 2014, we are likely see a number of key changes to the Partnership, including discussion on the lead Partner in the future, but there remains an essential inter-dependency between the Partner agencies, without which none of the key deliverables set out in our Business Plan are possible. That inter-dependency relies on the following essential activity within each Partner agency: Road Authorities: (The Welsh Government and Local Authorities) Ensuring relevant Traffic Regulation Orders are in place Ensuring relevant speed limit signage complies with road traffic legislation Ensuring the road network is maintained within the vicinity of safety camera sites Installing and maintaining the fixed site camera infrastructure and providing suitable locations for mobile enforcement Installing camera signage as agreed Agreeing to undertake speed monitoring on the road network Jointly agreeing priority enforcement locations Police: (The four Welsh Police Forces) Carrying out mobile enforcement on the road network Recovering and dealing with evidence from roadside fixed cameras Processing offences to an effective conclusion within the Criminal Justice System Diverting offenders through the National Driver Offender Retraining Schemes (NDORS) Jointly agreeing priority enforcement locations Her Majesty s Court and Tribunal Service (HMCTS): Processing offences judged suitable for resolution through the statutory Fixed Penalty Notice scheme Partnership Management Office: Coordinating and operationally supporting activity of Partner agencies Providing strategic support, underlying business methodology and formal reporting mechanisms Delivering a coordinated and integrated media and marketing campaign across Wales The inter-dependency can best be illustrated as below, where failure of any partner agency will critically affect delivery as a whole. 17

18 2014 and beyond The role of the WRCRP in 2014 is to deliver a range of functions including: The management of a network of 214 fixed site camera housings across Wales, comprising both wet film and digital technology Enforcement of speed and red light offences, through that network of fixed site camera systems, complemented by mobile camera units capable of enforcing from 385 identified locations The processing of those offences within the criminal justice system, from initial detection through to case resolution Delivering a marketing and communications strategy aimed at changing both attitude and behaviour towards excess and inappropriate speed Where appropriate, initiating referrals to offender diversionary schemes In addition, within North Wales, a limited amount of enforcement is also undertaken in relation to non-use of seat belts and use of mobile phones whilst driving. This will be expanded across Wales in Whilst we have always seen the benefit of arranging and participating in ad-hoc operations such as coast-to-coast enforcement, and assisting with long standing campaigns such as motorcycle routes, we now have a structured tasking and operation plan for the year ahead which ranges from other offences such as use of mobile phones and non-use of seatbelts, to the introduction of enforcement at 20MPH speed limits. In addition to this, annual site reviews and ongoing analysis will improve the quality of information held about camera sites in Wales. Recent years have seen the expansion of the portfolio to include other technology types as a result of further devices receiving Home Office type approval and the forthcoming reduction in the availability of wet film technology

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