TfL’s Andy Lord gets criticised for comments on pedestrian safety after high death toll. Caroline Russell objects.
Russell mentioned TfL data at a meeting. It showed 110 road deaths last year. Sixty-seven of them were pedestrians. She wants more pedestrian signals. These should be at main road junctions. Vehicle signals are often already there.
Lord will check with London councils. Most deaths occurred on their roads. He wants more pedestrian crossings at junctions. He thinks people need to learn how to use them. He thinks people need to follow crossing rules better.
Russell said this sounds like blaming victims. Vision Zero assumes everyone makes mistakes. Pedestrians and drivers can both err. Safe systems should stop these errors.
Russell thinks pedestrians feel unheard. Traffic runs red lights while they walk. Telling them to follow the rules isn’t fair. Drivers break rules often. This shows in the death and injury stats.
Lord stated TfL will fix bad junction designs. They will make drivers drive safer. He will work with councils for consistent road safety.
Lord denies blaming victims. He wants to know the causes of accidents. He wants people to follow safety rules. Everyone must use controls carefully. New crossings are needed where they lack. People must also use crossings well.
Seb Dance also spoke. He works with Lord on crosswalks. He wants culture change in driving. Drivers should respect pedestrian priority at junctions.