Low Traffic Neighbourhood Areas halving the number of road crashes

It follows data relating to the Cowley area

Author: Trevor ThomasPublished 9th Oct 2024

CoHSAT (Coalition for Health Streets and Active Travel) analysed the data in the 3 Cowley LTNs and their boundary roads for 2022 and 2023 and compared this to the pre-LTN and pre-Covid period, of 2015-2019.

The LTNs have proved controversial with some drivers - but data found they cut casualties.

The Government’s March 2024 Low Traffic Neighbourhoods Review also concluded that, according to Co-Chair, Robin Tucker:

“...there is evidence that there has been less street crime and improved road safety within LTNs.”

“There has been there has been a dramatic reduction in harm from crashes in and around these low traffic neighbourhoods, from which both residents and drivers benefit. Some drivers might like to save a few seconds by using these streets, but this analysis shows that cutting through these residential streets is more dangerous for residents, and for them.”

Cllr Charlie Hicks, the Oxfordshire County Councillor for the Cowley area, said:

“These routes are used by hundreds of children every day to walk, cycle or wheel to school, so it’s brilliant to see that the LTNs are improving the safety of our streets both inside the LTNs and on the boundary roads. That’s fewer families receiving dreaded calls from the police, fewer people being injured or killed, and less strain on our John Radcliffe A&E department.”

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.