Government cuts road safety budget
The Department of Transport has announced that it will no longer air road safety adverts in England due to budget cuts and has decided to‘re –prioritise’.
TV adverts documenting road safety have been broadcast since the 1960s will now be a thing of the past.
The Royal society for prevention of accidents (ROSPA) said TV campaigns ‘help save lives and prevent injuries’.
The Coalition announced in 2010 that it was to tackle the deficit and the department for transport has had to cut spending by £683m.
The budget shift will inject available money into ocal areas to concentrate on targeted initiatives.
Road Safety Minister, Stephen Hammond announced,
‘Road deaths are at a record low but we know that one death is too many’.
Adding,
‘We are working closely with local authorities and other partners to ensure our road safety messages are reaching children and teenagers in schools as well as providing educational resources to allow these important messages to be incorporated into the curriculum’.
Road safety should still be a major issue for the government, Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle declared,
‘The government must take responsibility if these cuts mean more children are killed or injured on our roads’.
TV campaigns had for a long time raised awareness to children of the dangers of our roads and to instill in youth to take care whilst crossing roads for example.
ROSPAS head of road safety, Kevin Clinton said;
While road safety must face its share of cuts in public spending, road accidents are an enormous financial burden that the country can ill afford’.