Plans backed to cut road accidents

Powys county councillors have backed plans to tackle deaths on local roads after it was reported that 100 people have tragically died on the county's roads over the past 10 years.

A motion calling for action to make Powys roads safer, especially for motor cyclists, has been unanimously backed by councillors from right across the political spectrum.

At Powys County Council’s meeting on Thursday, Liberal Democrat Cllr Richard Church, cabinet member for a safer Powys, asked councillors to endorse his motion, which included the “Road Safety in Powys Crisis” report.

The report was prepared at the request of the Welsh Minister for Highways in March last year. It was written by Cllr Church and Cllr Jackie Charlton, a Lib Dem colleague and cabinet member of a greener Powys, with the help of Dyfed-Powys police and the council’s highways department.

Cllr Church said: “Council I would like you to imagine a single incident in Powys where 100 people were killed – that’s more than the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989, more than the number who died in Grenfell Tower in 2017 and it’s two-thirds the number that were killed in Aberfan in 1966.

“Whatever town or village in Powys this would happen in would be remembered forever, just like those places and for the worst of reasons.”

He pointed that 100 people had died on Powys roads over the last 10 years.

Cllr Church said: “Having presented that report we are still waiting for action but meanwhile the deaths on our roads continue.”

He listed the number of fatalities on Powys roads that had taken place over the last few months.

Cllr Church said: “I mention these because there’s some common themes which are reflected in the report.

“A high proportion of collisions involve people who do not live in our county and who may not be used to the driving conditions on our rural roads.

“Motorcyclists are overrepresented in these collisions in comparison to their share of traffic on our roads.”

He added that Powys is a “crossroads” with people travelling through the county from North Wales to South Wales as well east to west between England and Welsh tourist destinations.

The motion was seconded by Liberal Democrat, Angela Davies said: “Two of the five roads listed in this report run through my ward of Rhayader.

“That’s the A470 north to south and the A44 east to west going over to Aberystwyth, known famously as the ice cream run.

“It’s not unusual to see rows of motorbikes lined up by our town clock and it’s very welcome business when they stop for their breakfast.”

An aspect of the motion asked for the government to fund a trial for PRIMEs(Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment) to improve motorcycle safety in Powys.

Data from a trial in Scotland showed that by using these special road markings to guide motorcyclists through bends, they were more likely to be in the correct position and adjust their speed appropriately.

Cllr Davies said: “This has been tried and tested and proven on rural roads and the results are really optimistic that it will reduce accidents and save lives.”

Conservative Cllr Peter Lewington said: “Sadly there have been several accidents around the Newtown area involving fatalities.

“I fully endorse the motion it has my full support, and we must do all we can to prevent any further tragedies occurring on our roads.”

Powys Independents joint group leader Cllr Beverley Baynham added that it “makes complete common sense” to back the motion.

The motion went to a vote and all 61 councillors in the meeting voted to back it.

The motion asked councillors to:

• Endorse: “The Road Safety Crisis in Powys” report.
• Call on the Welsh Government to support and fund a trial of the PRIMES motorcycle safety initiative in Powys.
• Work with motorcyclists to ensure Powys roads are safe for all.
• Work with the Welsh Trunk Roads Agency, Dyfed-Powys Police, and others to highlight the dangers of driving on rural roads and promote safer driving.
• Call on the Police to prioritise rural road safety in Powys through both education and enforcement.

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporting Service