Dear Editor,
This week marks the UN’s Global Road Safety Week, and it comes as a reminder that we all have a part to play when it comes to reducing the risks faced by pedestrians and all road users.
The latest TfL data shows that in 2017 91 people were tragically killed or seriously injured on Barking and Dagenham’s streets. The pain and distress suffered by their families cannot be overstated.
With the right interventions and level of ambition, we can save lives. This is why TfL is implementing its Vision Zero for London plan which aims to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from our transport network by 2041.
The plan focuses on introducing lower speed limits across the capital, improving safety at junctions and imposing more rigorous standards on some of the most dangerous vehicles such as buses and HGVs.
However, as a community, it also falls to us to remain vigilant when using the roads and to reflect more often on the risks we pose to others, as well as educating the next generation of Londoners.
Yours,
Unmesh Desai AM
London Assembly Member for City & East