Oxford recognised for road safety
Oxford was recently placed as the fourth best town in the UK for road safety. This came as a surprise to some local residents, given the number of people who have been killed or injured in road traffic accidents in the city over the last few years.
This ranking was announced less than two weeks after St Catz student Emilie Harris was tragically killed when a bus knocked her off her bike on East Oxford's Cowley Road.
Only five days after this accident, Oxfordshire County Council gave approval for major improvements to be undertaken on this road, which has the highest accident rate of all shopping streets in Oxfordshire.
The Council's proposals include "a 20mph speed limit for a 650 metre stretch through the busiest shopping area and cycle lanes in the 30mph limit" as well as more pedestrian crossings and various other safety amendments to the road itself.
However, James Styring, a representative of Cyclox, the Cycling Campaign for Oxford, fears that some amendments, such as the implementation of narrow carriageways to promote slow moving traffic, may cause more problems than they solve.
He told The OxStu: "If they're wrong, there could be even more serious accidents."
Styring added: "Cycling is a tradition in Oxford as well as a necessity but the volume of traffic and accidents is making this more and more uncomfortable."
A second-year Oxford student living on the Cowley Road also expressed concerns about road safety in the area: "I find it hard to believe that this is one of the safest towns in the country. Loads of students I know find cycling in Oxford scary, especially on Cowley Road, and when somebody dies it makes you realise just how dangerous it can be."
The report, which ranked Oxford highly for road safety, was compiled by Endsleigh Insurance and is based on analysis of more than five years of policy and claims data. A spokesperson from Endsleigh told The OxStu that the figures are well researched and fully representative.
David Robertson, an Oxfordshire County Councillor and executive member for transport, said that Oxford's high ranking was a "wonderful" achievement.
10th Jun 2004