The Importance of Politicians and Professionals in Road Safety

1. David Davies
Executive Director, PACTS
UK
All-Party Parliamentary Group
- The importance of Politicians and
Professionals in Road Safety
Global Forum for Road Safety Legislators, London,
December 2016

2. What are APPGs?
• A British institution??
• Multi-party groups of MPs and Lords
• No official parliamentary status
• No funding from parliament or government
• But operate under Parliament’s rules
• Not always loved by Parliament!!
APPGs

3. UK likes them!
• 582 APPGs in UK Parliament
– 120 country groups
– 459 subject groups
– 3 clubs
• Easily born, slow to die
APPGs

4. about PACTS
Parliamentary Advisory Council for
Transport Safety
Better known as PACTS!
APPGs

5. about PACTS
• 1981 Transport Act - seat-belt law
• PACTS formally established in 1982
• One of the oldest UK all-party groups
• MPs, Lords, safety professionals, businesses
and user groups
APPGs

6. Barry Sheerman MP
Founder members and Chairman of
PACTS

7. about PACTS
Unique features:
• Transport safety - road, rail and aviation
• Focused on Parliament
APPGs

8. about PACTS
• Balanced, evidence-based approach
• Listened to by Government
• Briefings to and about Parliament
• Small staff but network of experts
• Also important outside UK Parliament
– Work with local and regional governments
– Founder of European Transport Safety Council
APPGs

9. Why is PACTS useful?
• Government does not have all the expertise
• Wide range of members (industry, user
groups, professions, academics, etc)
• Neutral, honest broker, umbrella
• Networking, advice, website, twitter
• Conferences, research, briefings
APPGs

10. APPGs
Dashboard published annually by PACTS:
unique analysis for every GB constituency. See
http://www.pacts.org.uk/dashboard/

12. International Comparisons (OECD)
Road Deaths per Million Population, 2013

13. But road safety not solved in UK!
• 25,000 people killed or seriously injured in UK each year
• Largest cause of accidental death for young people (5-25 yrs)
• £1.8 million - the value of preventing each death
• 910,000 – the estimated total number of casualties (National
Travel Survey in RRCGB 2013)
• 1,000 people will die in 2030 in GB (PACTS forecast)
• We don’t feel safe
• Some worrying recent trends
APPGs

14. or globally......
• 1.3 million people killed each year
• A growing problem in many countries
• By 2030 road traffic collisions will be fourth largest killer
• Traffic collisions caused more deaths than Ebola outbreak in
those countries
APPGs

15. Road safety is Not common sense!!
For example:
• 95% of collisions involved humans error. But
education may not be the solution!
• Removing motorways hard shoulders will
increase crashes. No, removing hard shoulder
has reduced crashes!!
APPGs

16. Cicero: The first duty of government and the law......
APPGs

17. The role of legislators…
• Leadership and commitment
• Priorities
• Legislation
• Scrutiny of government
• Influence research and evaluation
• Review, listen and adapt
APPGs can help
APPGs

18. Thank you
David Davies
Executive Director
PACTS
Phone: +44 (0) 207 222 7732
E-mail: david.davies@pacts.org.uk
Web: www.pacts.org.uk
Twitter: @pacts
APPGs