§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department has for use on trunk roads in order to prevent injuries or deaths to pedestrians; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe Government attach great importance to making trunk and local roads safer for pedestrians. In April 1989 following a thorough review of pedestrian safety on all roads we published a leaflet entitled "Pedestrian Safety" which outlined a number of initiatives aimed at making walking safer. The implementation of the proposals on local roads, where the great majority of pedestrian casualties occur, is primarily for the local authorities. The proposals also apply as appropriate to trunk roads, standards for which already incorporate requirements to protect pedestrians. In addition, the trunk road construction programme will continue to take traffic away from roads in towns and villages which are heavily used by pedestrians, thus making a significant contribution to safety.