Tackling road safety in Calderdale is a priority both for the Council and for residents in the borough.
In July, Calderdale Council hosted an event with the Community Safety Partnership and local people, to raise awareness and discuss the different ways in which communities can work together to keep our roads safe – for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
The event was a great success with over 60 people attending. Issues discussed included, how we can communicate and respond better to local community concerns, what could we be doing better by working collaboratively, how enforcement can make a difference, what is the biggest barrier we have to overcome, and how can we increase road safety awareness.
In response to the issues raised at the event, and growing community concerns about speeding traffic, Cabinet will soon be considering a report with firm recommendations for future action, which will then be the subject of broad public consultation.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Environment, Cllr Barry Collins, said:
“Our residents have told us that road safety is one of their greatest concerns. We regularly use our speed indicator device to check speeds on roads across Calderdale and it is extremely disappointing that on three recent occasions every road checked showed that drivers are still going too fast. Enough is enough.
“As a Council we can respond on a small scale with road engineering and 20mph limits; however we need to explore new ideas with partners, particularly the Police, local road safety groups, parents, and young people.
“The Road Safety Open Space event provided an opportunity for us to work together to find ways of tackling this problem. We already have local schemes in place to encourage drivers to slow down; however I want to hear from people across our communities on what more we can do to cut speeds and make sure that everyone can enjoy our shared spaces safely.”
If you would like to share your views on improving road safety, email road.safety@calderdale.gov.uk or call 0845 245 6000.