Review of Speed Limit Policy - States of Jersey Police - Submission - 14 March 2011

STATES OF JERSEY POLICE

Submission to the Environment Scrutiny Panel: Review of Speed Limits Policy

General Observations

1. Vehicle speed will invariably be a contributory factor in many road traffic collisions. The slower a vehicle is travelling, the more time the driver has to react to unforeseen factors.
2. This is illustrated bythe safe stopping distances listed by the UK Highway Code –

20mph 12 metres

30 mph 23 metres

40 mph 36 metres

3. Logically, if speed limits in Jersey were lower and the majority of drivers abided by these limits, the number of road traffic collisions in the Island would be reduced.
4. The Police submission to the Speed Limits Review Group also made the point that speed would always be an aggravating factor in determining the severity of an RTC and any associated casualties.

RTC Contributory Factors

5. The report also considered, however, the extent to which speeding (ie speed in excess of the prevailing speed limit) was deemed to be a contributory factor in influencing the number of RTCs experienced in Jersey.
6. States of Jersey Police use a list of 41 different options when considering the contributory factors that may have caused an RTC. These are based on a national standard but have been adapted for local use. Up to three contributory factors can be assigned to each RTC. These are applied by a member of police staff on the basis of the narrative description in the police officer's RTC report. The contributory factors are inevitably somewhat subjective unless a serious RTC is subject to a specific review by a qualified Accident Investigator. Nevertheless, the aggregated figures provide general indicators for reference by both the Police and Transport and Technical Services. The latter are provided with summary RTC data on a regular basis.
7. The contributory factors now include excessive speed' and inappropriate speed for the prevailing conditions'. The former is applied when it is evident that a driver was speeding (ie breaking the speed limit) at the time of the RTC.
8. The Police submission to the Speed Limits Review Group reported that speeding was deemed to be the main contributory factor in less than 3% of a sample of 172 injury RTCs in 2008. This sample represented about 50% of the injury RTCs in 2008. This work was done by a university student and was done retrospectively for 2008 in order to provide comparative data in line with revised contributory factors adopted in 2009. One of the significant changes introduced in 2009 was to make the distinction between speeding and inappropriate speed.
9. Since August 2009, when the report was produced, the Force has completed full sets of contributory factor data for injury RTCs in 2008 (March onwards), 2009 and 2010. The top 15 results for each year are set out below. These list the primary contributory factors so it is important to note that inappropriate speed for the prevailing conditions' in particular is likely to be a secondary factor in many cases (eg; where weather conditions is deemed to be the primary factor) –  

Overall Number of RTCs

10. The overall number of injury RTCs recorded in Jersey has not shown any significant change since 2000, despite the increase in the Island's population. Increasing vehicle safety is likely to have played a part in this respect.

11. This also seems to be reflected in data provided by Hospital Accident and Emergency. This shows a 45% reduction in

the number of people  Total A&E RTC Attendees

recorded attending A&E  1000

with RTC injuries  800

between 2005 and 2010.  600

There has been a  400

reduction in the number of

people in each of the main  200

road user types attending  0

A&E with RTC injuries

between 2005 and 2010.

A&E RTC Attendees by Road User Type

Timing of Fatal/Serious Injury RTCs

12. This graph shows the number of people injured in RTCs at particular times of day. As can be seen, the main peaks are during the morning and evening rush hours.

Fatal/Serious Injury RTCs by hour of day March 2008 - February 2011

Hour

Benchmarking

13. Comparisons with Guernsey and the Isle of Man should be treated with some caution as we would need to ensure that their definitions and recording practices are consistent with ours. Jersey's population is currently 92,500. The last census figures for the other islands were Guernsey 59,807 (2001) and Isle of Man 80,058 (2002).

14. The Isle of Man maintain similar contributory factor data to the States of Jersey Police. Their figures show that speed (Isle of Man have not introduced the distinction between excessive and inappropriate speed as in Jersey so this figure represents a combination of both factors) was considered to be the primary cause of 21% of injury RTCs and 12% of all RTCs.

Speed Monitor Data

15. The Police submission to the Speed Limits Review Group referred to data from three sites. Included below is speed monitor data from a range of sites across the Island.

APPENDIX 1

In the original Police submission to the Speed Limits Review Group, speed monitor details in relation to three routes were included. Set out below are the total number of RTCs recorded for those routes and the associated primary contributory factors for 2009 and 2010.

Appendix 2: Public Opinion

States of Jersey Police regularly seek public opinion concerning community safety issues and policing performance through the Jersey Annual Social Survey.

The Police submission to the Speed Limits Review Group drew upon these findings. It was particularly  noticeable  how  people  considered  speeding  to  be  an  issue  in  their  local neighbourhoods but were far less concerned that the issue was an Islandwide problem

Neighbourhood Issues  Islandwide Issues

2007  2005  2003  2007  2005  2003 Excessive speed  52   52  60  21   19  22 Anti-social behaviour  60  59  N/a  69  67  N/a by young people

Young people hanging  N/a  N/a  31  N/a  N/a  22 around in street

Vandalism and graffiti  25  27  21  15  19  18 Rowdy or drunken  N/a  N/a  18  N/a  N/a  37 behaviour

Fighting or assaults in  N/a  N/a  7  N/a  N/a  44 the street

Street violence and  20   18  N/a  46   42  N/a disorder

Burglary of houses  13  13  17  9  9  23 People dealing in  22   24  N/a  68   71  N/a drugs

People using or  N/a  N/a  17  N/a  N/a  70 dealing in drugs

Drink driving  16  18  13  22  25   21 Theft of or from  4  7  8  3  5  7 vehicles

Domestic Violence  7  7  3  11  11  9

In 2009, States of Jersey Police introduced different questions into the Jersey Annual Social Survey asking the public to prioritise different policing activity. The results showed that whilst tackling motorists who drive at very fast speeds" was ranked as a very high or high priority by 79% of respondents (placing it 10th out of 18 options), strict enforcement of the Island's speed limits was scored as a very high or high priority by only 41% (16th out of the 18 options). The full results are shown overleaf.

JASS 2009 included a comprehensive list of eighteen police duties and services and asked the public to prioritise each into "Very high", "High", "Medium" and "Low" priority. Respondents were also able to choose the option "Don't know".

Very high High Medium Low Don't know

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TackTliancgk ltihnge tnheegnlegclteocrt  oarbaubsues eo focf hchilidldrerenn  aannd

other vulontehraebr lveuplneeorpaleble people

PatrPoalltirnogll inagreaarse awshwehreer ec rcimrimeeoor raannttii--ssoocciiaal

behaviboeurharveioaupr raorbeleamproblem

ReducRinegd uacnintig-saonctiia-sl obceiahlabveiohauvr ioaunrdadndis doirsdoerrd einr in the towtnh ecetnotwrenact ennigthret at night

RedRuecdinugci nthget hseuspupplyp lyo foifl lielleggaal lddrruuggss

TaTcakclkinligngddrirninkk--ddrriivviinngg

TargTeatrignegt ionfgfeonffdeendrse rws hwohop opsoeset htheeggrreeaatteesstt threatthtorecaotmtomcuonimtymsaufneittyy safety

ReducRinegd uacnintig-saonctiia-sl obceiahlabveiohauvr ioaunrdadndis doirsdoerrd einr

in residential areresaidsential areas

ReRdeudcuincgin gd odmomeesstitcicvvioiolelennccee

Tackling moTtoarciskltisn gwmhoo todrriisvtes  wathovedrryivfeaastt  vseprey efadsst

speeds

Tackling monTeayc klalinugn dmeorninegylaanunddoetrhinegr  afinnda ontchiearl

financial crime crime

Protecting JPerrosteeyc tainngdJietsrsterya nansdp oitrst  tlriannksspaogrtaliinnksst against terroristetarrtotarcisktsattacks

Tackling Tmaicnkolirn gc rmimineo r( ecgrimvea n(edga lvisamnd/apleistmty  /t hpeefttty)

theft)

Working with rWesoirdkeinngtswiinth lorecsaidl ennetisgihnbloocuarhl oods to renseoiglvheb othuerhiro ocdosmtmo ruensiotylves athfeetiry ccoomnmceurnnitsy

EnEfonrfocrincign gli cliecennssiningg  llaawwss

Strict enfoSrctreicmteennftorocfetmhee nItsolaf nthde'sIsslapnede'sdslpimeeitds

limits

EnEfonrfcoirncgin groraoaddt rtarafffifcic  llaawwss

PatrollingP alotrwol licnrgimloewacrreimase atoreeansgtaogeen gwaigthe  awnitdh and reassurree athses uprueb ltiche public

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Appendix 3: RTC Contributory Factors

These are the contributory factors used by States of Jersey Police to assess road traffic collisions –

Tired or Asleep

Illness

Drunk or Drugged

Excessive Speed

Inappropriate Speed for Prevailing Conditions Failing to Keep to Nearside

Overtaking Improperly on Nearside

Overtaking Improperly on Offside

Failing to Stop at Pedestrian Crossing

Turning Round Carelessly

Reversing Carelessly

Failing to Comply with Traffic Sign or Traffic Lights Failing to Comply with Double White Lines

Starting from Nearside Carelessly

Starting from Offside Carelessly

Changing Traffic Lanes Carelessly

Cyclist Riding with Head Down

Cyclists more than Two Abreast

Turning Left Carelessly

Turning Right Carelessly

Opening Doors Carelessly

Crossing Road Junction Carelessly

Cyclist Holding Another Vehicle

Stopping Suddenly

Misjudging Clearance

Failing to Comply with Traffic Lights

Incorrect Use of Vehicle Lighting

Following Too Close

Inadequate Vehicle Lighting

Dazzled By Another's Lights

Defective Vehicle

Actions by Vehicle Passengers

Animal/Obstruction in Carriageway

Defective Road

Weather Conditions

Road Surface Contaminants (e.g. Oil, Gravel etc.) Unknown Factors

Pedestrian Actions

Shunted Stationary Vehicle

Other actions by cyclist