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On 21st April 2009 the government
issued the following :-
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Wide-ranging proposals to dramatically cut the number of deaths on the roads
were set out by Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick on Tuesday 21st
April, 2009 in the consultation on the road safety strategy for 2010-2020 –
A Safer Way: Consultation on Making
Britain’s Roads the Safest in the World.
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The consultation proposals include:
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New guidance to ensure all roads have the right speed limit. This will
recommend that local authorities:
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Introduce, over time, 20 mph zones or limits into streets around schools
and which are primarily residential in nature to protect pedestrians and
cyclists.
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Review speed limits on single carriageway rural roads, reducing the
limit on the more dangerous roads where this will have a significant
impact on casualties.
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The formation of a new independent expert panel to identify issues and
trends from fatal accidents and provide an annual report on road safety to
Ministers and Parliament.
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New targets to cut road deaths by one-third by 2020, to halve the number of
child deaths and serious injuries on the roads and to halve the rate of road
death and serious injury to pedestrians and cyclists per kilometre
travelled.
In addition, the way people learn to drive and how they are tested is also set
for major reform. A new road safety qualification will offer young people a
partial credit towards their car theory test while the learning process and
theory and practical tests will all be improved. Van drivers also will be given
the chance to enhance the skills they need for their work through a new
qualification.
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