Survey highlights “critical gaps” in road safety funding

Local authorities have described limited funding and inadequate data as major barriers to road safety planning and measurement. In a survey of 200 councils, carried out by transport solutions provider VivaCity, 63% cited lack of funding as an issue, while 45% said they faced a lack of accurate data when assessing the success of road safety schemes and infrastructure.

VivaCity also asked local authorities to rank motor vehicles, buses, cyclists, pedestrians and e-scooters based on their priorities for road safety.

More than half (55%) said pedestrians were their top priority, while just 6% put cyclists top. E-scooter users were ranked least important by more than half of respondents (51%).

Mark Nicholson, VivaCity CEO, said: “These findings highlight critical gaps in road safety prioritisation and resource allocation. Focusing on the safety of all types of vulnerable road users including cyclists and pedestrians is key to boosting active travel.

“There is an urgent need for local authorities to reevaluate their existing data to ensure that they have access to accurate analysis on the success of road safety schemes so that we can create safer and more sustainable towns and cities.”