§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's attempts to reduce the incidence of(a) child and (b) total pedestrian fatalities.[15645]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonMeasures to reduce the incidence of pedestrian and child pedestrian accidents focus on both engineering and enforcement, supported by education (including publicity).
Traffic calming and 20 mph zones have proved successful in slowing traffic, with a consequential reduction in the number and severity of accidents to all pedestrians. Effective enforcement is also necessary generally to reduce speed, and we are considering ways of making better use of speed cameras to help achieve this. These measures are reinforced by publicity campaigns, and my noble Friend the Minister for Roads launched the current "Kill Your Speed" campaign on 16 September.
While seeking to reduce the risks to all pedestrians, we also educate children, in particular, to develop the skills they need to cope with the risks they face. We support road safety practitioners by providing resources such as `Kerbcrafe (launched in September), which promotes practical child pedestrian training. A new child safety campaign is planned for January.
Measures further to improve safety for child and adult pedestrians will be a priority aim of the road safety strategy announced by my noble Friend the Minister for Roads on 15 October.