Penalty points and speed limit reductions on their way next year?

Thursday 11 September 2014

Big changes to Jersey’s speed limits and a UK-style penalty point system could be on the cards after it was revealed that the rate of serious injuries per head of population is an astonishing 39% higher here than in the UK.

The Transport department plans a big round of public consultations next year about changes to speed limits as part of a new Road Safety Strategy – they say that road accidents cost the Island around £18 million per year, and that they have already had a positive response on penalty points.

Last month, 25-year-old Sam Slater was killed in a tragic crash on the Esplanade, and another young man – 22-year-old Vitor Fernandes – was killed in another tragic crash on Victoria Avenue on 30 December.

The latest police figures show that one person is seriously injured on the roads every week. The stats for 2013 showed that three people were killed in road accidents, 60 were seriously injured and 322 suffered minor injuries such as cuts and bruises or whiplash.

In response to questions in the States from St Mary Constable Juliette Gallichan, Transport Minister Kevin Lewis said that while he hoped to be in the job next year, he thought it was better to leave the question over to the next House. But he confirmed that the rate of serious injuries per head of population was 39% higher here than in the UK, and confirmed the £18 million cost figure.

Deputy Lewis said: “Although work is well advanced in these areas, there is more to be done, including ensuring that the Minister for Home Affairs is supportive of the proposals, as many of them relate to enforcement.

“It would be inappropriate to launch a consultation on proposed changes to the current speed limit policy or to finalise the Road Safety Strategy, knowing that a new minister may be in my place shortly and there will certainly be a new Minister for Home Affairs.

“The work will therefore be finalised after the elections.

“An assessment of Jersey’s road injury data found that our serious road injury rate per head of population is 39% higher than in the UK and our road traffic accidents are estimated to cost the Island over £18 million per annum.

“This is evidence that we must invest more in road safety and I hope to be able to present the Road Safety Strategy to the States early in the New Year. If however I am not in a position to do so, I would certainly urge the new minister to give the issue a high priority.“