Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Acknowledged
Lead a proactive approach to promote active travel and address public safety concerns.
Conclusion
DfT’s communications to the public have not been enough to help tackle perceptions that active travel is unsafe or to encourage more people to take part. People’s perception of the safety of active travel is as important as actual physical safety. There is significant public concern around safety and this remains a substantial barrier to getting more people cycling and walking. We are not convinced that DfT’s messaging around the positive changes that have been made to improve safety, such as revisions to the Highway Code, or the benefits of active travel have been communicated effectively to the general public. There are also concerns about the impact on safety of new forms of travel such as e-scooters. DfT accepts that there is a need for greater clarity around the role of e-scooters, including a better legal framework. With the proliferation of e-scooters being used for both leisure and commuting, in and beyond the 23 current trials of rental schemes, there is a pressing need for better advice and guidance from DfT for the public and stakeholders. Recommendation 4: DfT should, by December 2023, set out to the Committee how it will lead a proactive and coordinated approach with other stakeholders to: better promote the benefits of active travel; identify and address safety concerns; and encourage more people to participate in active travel.
Government Response Summary
The government intends to publish a new road safety strategy and will explore aligning it with a campaign to promote active travel benefits and communicate via local partners. It also states it previously addressed safety concerns by communicating revisions to The Highway Code via campaigns in 2022 and 2023.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented The department intends to publish a new road safety strategy document in due course. This will consider ways in which road safety can be improved for vulnerable road users. The department will explore aligning the publication of this document to a broader campaign that promotes the benefits of active travel. The department will also explore whether communications via local authorities and other delivery partners, such as charitable and stakeholder bodies, can deliver similar messaging. The department has previously sought to address safety concerns around active travel by communicating the revisions to The Highway Code to the public. The January 2022 changes to The Highway Code have been communicated via: • a factual awareness-raising campaign in February and March 2022, alerting road users to the changes as they came into effect; and, • a further campaign which ran in summer 2022 and 2023, to help embed the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance. The percentage of road users reporting to know either a little or a lot about the Highway Code changes increased from 36% in January 2022 to 58% in August 2022, with 83% of road users having heard of the changes by August 2022. Going forward, the department will continue to monitor attitudes and behaviours to help evidence the prioritisation of THINK! Campaign activity and the level of future communications investment required.