The Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Environmental Audit Committee, Health, and Transport Parliamentary Select Committees, are conducting an inquiry into how effective the Government’s plans are at tackling the health and environmental impacts of outdoor air pollution.
The full details of the inquiry and all submissions to the inquiry can be found here.
In November, PACTS submitted written evidence that focuses on the interplay between the Government’s air quality policies and road safety.
As part of the submission, PACTS drew attention to the following points:
1. There is considerable uncertainty over the scale of premature deaths associated with emissions;
2. There is confusion over the definition of deaths associated with emissions. Perhaps as a result,
misleading comparisons with deaths from other causes are sometimes made;
3. The Government’s 2017 Air Quality Plan makes no mention of road safety considerations yet
offers funding for measures that could increase road casualties;
4. Road safety considerations seem to be largely absent from associated government initiatives,
including the Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (ULEV);
5. The Government should adopt the twin objectives of zero vehicle emissions and zero fatal or
serious road casualties;
6. The revisions to EU vehicle safety standards currently underway offer opportunities to achieve
safety and air quality benefits, and
7. Research is needed into the effects on emissions and safety of different types of traffic calming
and speed reduction measures.
To full details of PACTS’ submission to the inquiry can be found here.
