The UK government has announced the third round of the Safer Roads Fund, which will see £47.5m allocated to local authorities across England to improve the safety of high-risk roads.
The round will support 27 new schemes, with projects including the re-design of junctions and the improvement of signage and road markings.
According to the Department for Transport (DfT), £100m has been allocated so far through the programme to improve the 50 most dangerous roads in England, the majority of which are in rural areas.
Mark Harper, transport secretary, said: “Britain’s roads are some of the safest in the world, but we are always looking at ways to help keep drivers and all road users safe.
“We’re injecting £47.5m so that local councils around the country have the support they need to keep everyone safe, while reducing congestion and emissions and supporting local economies.
“The allocation of £47.5m to 27 different schemes has been based on data independently surveyed and provided by the Road Safety Foundation…[it is] based on a road safety risk, looking at data on those killed and seriously injured alongside traffic levels.”
What’s more, the scheme is set to prevent around 1,450 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years, according to DfT.
The Road Safety Foundation suggests that the £47.5m investment could prevent around 760 fatal and serious injuries during the next 20 years.
Dr Suzy Charman, executive director of the Road Safety Foundation said: “The commitment and funding announced today is transformational for road safety teams in local authorities across the country.
“It will allow them to proactively reduce risk and make these 27 roads safer and more inviting for all road users.”
The programme is not just focused on road safety, but also on reducing collisions and congestion, as well as journey times and emissions.
