Campaigners protesting at the Town Hall over ‘people-friendly streets’ road closure plans

• I AM a solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp, which has been in Islington for over 30 years, and I specialise in cases involving adult brain injuries.

I have been watching the reactions to the introduction of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) with much interest.

Islington Council’s plan to cover one-third of the borough with LTN is bold and understandably has been met with some resistance.

Every day I work on cases involving brain injuries. I see the profound effect brain injury has on a person’s life and those around them.

With road traffic collisions being the main cause of severe traumatic brain injury in people aged 10 to 50, I think it is vital measures to improve road safety continue to be introduced.

In July 2020 Islington’s first LTN was put in place in St Peter’s ward. A Low Traffic Neighbourhood is an area in which “through” motor vehicle traffic is discouraged or removed.

This stops rat-running, improves air quality, reduces noise pollution, and makes streets safer for people to walk and children to play.

LTN will be put into place on an experimental basis with both residents’ and users’ views being collected continually during the experimental period.

Changes can be made, or the scheme rethought, in response to observations at any time. After the 18-month experimental period a final decision is made.

Using an experimental period provides for greater opportunity for consultation and views obtained are based on experience rather than what a person thinks is going to happen.

Roads today are generally safer than they have ever been. Over the last 15 to 20 years technology has been put in place to protect vehicle occupants.

However, reduction of injuries to non-vehicle occupants has been much smaller and there is evidence it may be rising.

According to Department for Transport provisional results for 2019 across Great Britain:

– fatalities fell from 2006 to 2010 and from 2010 onwards remained flat, with year-on-year changes explained by one-off causes or natural variation; and

– serious injuries declined from 2004 to 2010 and from 2010 onwards the decline continued but at a slower rate.

I’ve looked at statistics for Islington on traffic volume and reports of people killed or seriously injured in road collisions.

These statistics reflect the trends across Great Britain that those killed or seriously injured have stabilised and any improvements are being made at a slower rate.

There concerns improvements are stalling. Bold action is needed to continue to drive improvements in road safety.

Historically, Islington has been bold on road safety by being the first London borough to limit all residential roads to 20mph in 2010.

As a pedestrian there is a massive difference being hit by a car at 20mph and 30mph. It is estimated at 20mph 1.5 per cent will be killed and at 30mph 8 per cent will be killed.

Introducing LTN across Islington is bold and progressive. Action like this is needed to make sure road safety continues to improve.

Change is often met with resistance, but without change our roads would be no safer than they were 20 years ago.

HOKMAN WONG
Senior Solicitor
Bolt Burdon Kemp