The CSS Traffic and Safety Working Group has begun a £30,000 research project that focuses on country roads to help local authorities achieve road casualty reduction targets set by the Government.
The scheme is aiming for a 40 per cent reduction in serious and fatal road accidents by 2010.
"During the past ten years there has been an increasing move towards seeking casualty reduction by looking at the whole road
rather than just particular accident clusters," said project leader, Rob Salmon.
"This project is all about treating existing roads and understanding why there are more accidents on some sections than others. There is a whole raft of potential measures which can be employed, including signing and road-marking, changing speed limits and other engineering works, and the roles of education and enforcement will also be reviewed.
"We will be looking in particular at the causal links between route safety intervention and change in driver or rider behaviour and how these might be extended and evaluated.
"The aim is to produce guidance and best practice ideas so that local authorities can strive for an overall effect that gives a consistent response."
According to CCS, roughly 50 per cent of fatal and serious injury accidents occur on rural roads. More fatal injuries are sustained on rural roads than in urban areas.
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