Wirral Accident Reduction Partnership

Merseyside Police/Wirral Borough Council

Minutes of meeting held on 18 March 2009 at 2.30 pm in Cheshire Lines Building, Birkenhead

Attending:

David Green, Director Chief Superintendent Jon Ward

Mark Smith, Head of Service Superintendent Mike Cloherty

Geoff Bell, Assistant Director Inspector Kate Cunningham

Laura Furlong, Press & PR Chief Inspector Chris Markey

Alan Murphy, Performance Management

David Foulkes, Merseyside Road Safety Partnership

David Green welcomed David Foulkes and Ch. Inspector Chris Markey to the meeting and thanked them for attending.
1 Apologies received from Paul Gibson, Merseyside Fire Service and David Rees, Wirral Council.

2 Minutes and Matters from last meeting on 7.1.09

Actions 1-4 completed.
Final certification for the Camera expected with in the next week or so. Photographics already in place and tickets will be backdated when final approval received.

3 Casualty Statistics Provisional Outturn for 2008

Geoff Bell circulated graphs and figures for all KSI and Children KSI’s for the 2008 outturn. All KSI’s being 150 and Children KSI being 17, which shows that figures are improving. Agreed that Insp. Cunningham would confirm final figures with Mark Smith in time for WBC Overview and Scrutiny meeting on 1.4.09.

4 Casualty Statistics Jan/Feb 2009

Generally agreed that all KSI’s at 20 for these months and Children KSI’s at 1.

5 Details of Fatal Traffic Accidents – current year

David Green asked David Foulkes whether he could confirm that an increased ticket regime would improve the casualty record. David Foulkes confirmed ticket PCN’s had been exceeded and Wirral now receiving in excess of its share of resources.
Discussed in detail. Agreed general improvement in outturn. Statistically bottoming out now with a slight improvement year on year.
David Green – asked if countywide we could identify trouble spots. Analysis of these figures to be looked at.
Insp. Cunningham pointed out that at the present time we do not know whether putting in more cameras will affect the KSI, and that this evidence will not be available for the next six months.
Ch. Insp. Markey added that we were somewhat later in starting with the initiative compared with other authorities and that we should continue to “keep our foot on the gas”.
David Foulkes reported that he had problems with recruitment of suitable staff and also very small office capacity. Discussion on whether if there was an increase of tickets it would improve safety and at present this was unknown.
Getting more capacity from cameras discussed and
David Foulkes replied that with vacancies and lack of office space this is not possible.
Ch. Supt. Ward undertook to write to the Department of Justice to see if they could offer some help on the recruitment of suitable staff, and if we want to increase the amount of tickets issues then more funding may be necessary.
Discussion on changing the public perception of how dangerous even small violations of the speed limit can be. Comment on how much busier the roads are and set this against amount of accidents. DFT would have the information on this, and it was agreed that Geoff Bell would obtain these statistics and share them with this Group
The following points were then discussed:-
Future of Special Road Safety grant from the DFT for funding of the unit.
All agreed need to reduce KSI’s and what we should invest our money in to improve these.
David Green felt that we collectively need to speed up the activity to avoid missing targets, and a draft Roadsafe Action Plan suggested along the lines of:
Increasing Enforcement
Publicity and Marketing
(DG will assist with finance)
Traffic schemes
Through LAA there is a reward grant
Mark Smith and Ch. Supt. Jon Ward to meet to discuss formalising a Plan for discussion prior to the next meeting.

6 Action Plan – Update

Current year’s action plan discussed and updated and amendments agreed. Some items will be taken into next year’s action plan.
WBC have appointed Consultants, Faber Maunsell who will be carrying out a speed limit review over the next two years on A roads and some B and C roads.

7 Action Plan for Future

A draft action plan was circulated and generally agreed. All asked to provide feedback asap to Insp. Cunningham.
New actions on Kate Cunningham’s action plan re the PCT and NHS. Presentations to Magistrates and Driving Standards Agency. Some new themes included arising from the workshop held last week.
Ch. Supt. Jon Ward suggested that the PCT should attend this meeting, David Green will write to Kathy Doran to invite them to send a representative to the Group.
An invitation to join the Accident Reduction Partnership was extended to Dave Foulkes and Ch. Insp. Chris Markey and both accepted.
8 Communication Plan – April 2009 and beyond
There will be a Drink Driving Campaign in May and October (DFT) Laura will give Mark Smith estimated costs by the end of the week.
David Green suggested that this communication plan be kept separate from the action plan. Insp.Cunningham and Geoff Bell to meet with Laura Furlong to finalise.
Ch. Supt.Jon Ward and Ch. Insp. Markey to raise an issue about putting safety messages on the back of police vehicles
WBC have agreed this in principle for its own fleet vehicles

9 Any Other Business

Nothing raised.
10 Date of next meeting – at Manor Road Police Station, Wallasey at 2.30 pm on the 6 May 2009.
D Green
27.3.09 /

ACTIONS

Mark Smith
Insp.Cunningham
Geoff Bell
Insp.Cunningham
and
Dave Rees
David Rees
ALL
David Green
Laura Furlong
Insp.Cunningham/
Geoff Bell/Laura
Furlong
Ch.Supt.Ward/
Ch.Insp Markey