A new Vision Zero Strategy and Action Plan for Greater Manchester has been unanimously approved, with leaders from the 10 local authorities that make up the city-region giving it their strong support.
In the last 10 years nearly 10,000 people who live in, work in or visit Greater Manchester have been killed or seriously injured on our roads.
In 2022, 64 people lost their lives on roads surrounding the city-region and a further 787 people were seriously injured.
The most recent figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) show that the number of casualties in Greater Manchester fell by 6.2% to 799 in 2023, including 45 deaths – a 29.7% decrease on the previous year.
Greater Manchester’s newly-adopted plan includes a set of measures to reduce this further, including an interim target to halve road traffic deaths and life changing injuries by the end of this decade.
It is estimated that around 3,800 unnecessary deaths and life changing injuries could be prevented in Greater Manchester by 2040.
Although collisions between vehicles on the road may occur, deaths and life changing injuries can be prevented, and the Safe System aims to minimise the impact of a collision and can save lives.
READ MORE: Greater Manchester camera trial reveals 3,200 traffic violations
Major interventions within the Action Plan include:
- A new Greater Manchester speed management policy by 2025
- Increasing targeted roads policing
- Upgrading safety cameras (spot speed and average speed)
- Lobbying for local highway authorities to be given extra powers to tackle illegal and inconsiderate parking at high-risk locations, such as outside schools
- Delivering campaigns targeting antisocial road user behaviour
- Removing dangerous vehicles from the road and continuing to target individuals who are not driving their vehicles legally, including off road bikes and illegally modified e-bikes, e-scooters and e-motorbikes.
- Ensuring people involved in road traffic collisions get the best possible care in the short and long term,
- Continued investment in specialised incident training and undertaking thorough investigations when collisions do occur to prevent similar collisions in future
It’s also hoped that reducing casualties and collisions will also alleviate cost and staffing pressure for emergency services.
The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) now attends more road traffic collisions than fires.
Greater Manchester Police attend on average around 925 road traffic collisions every month, with around 3,000 officers required to attend road traffic collisions each month.
Greater Manchester’s deputy mayor Kate Green said: “Everyone is entitled to feel safe while using our roads, whether you’re driving, in the passenger seat, using public transport or active travel to get around.
“This is a powerful moment where all Greater Manchester’s leaders have come together behind a joint plan to take decisive action and make a change.
“We must remember that behind every headline about collisions on our roads are families that are either grieving or supporting victims whose lives have been changed forever.
“I want to say a huge thanks to Dame Sarah, who has spearheaded this important work to bring together all our emergency and public services behind a shared goal.
“Vision Zero not only adopts an ambitious target but will bet the driving force for increased safety on Greater Manchester’s roads.”
