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Snow Summit 2010Stansted Essex

24 March 2010

Paul Watters CMILT CMIHTHead of Public Affairs

The Automobile Association

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• James Gray MP Private Members Bill – Road Transport Bill 2001

• Duty as in Scotland (Roads Scotland Act 1984)• Now in England (Transport Safety Act 2003)• Winter Plans in place• Road user responsibility• Winter 2008/2009• Accepts unpredictability of our climate

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We pay our taxes!

• Motoring taxes £46 bn• Council tax• Congestion charging• Parking revenue

We count the cost!

• 1,000 people killed or seriously injured• Hospital costs (25% more admissions in 09)• UK economy £1bn in 2009 - £4bn in 2010?

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“When we get bad weather this country should

not grind to a halt. The rest of the world

manages to keep going and so should we”

30 October 2009

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• Basingstoke 21 Dec 2009

• Morning after night before

• Emergency plan

• Towaways

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• So did many others responsible for looking after our roads or us.

• Services stretched by lack of ability to move

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AA / Populus Panel

   • AA Populus Panel established in 2008

• 100,000 members signed up

• Monthly polls

• Around 20,000 responses each month

• England, Wales, Scotland, N Ireland

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AA / Populus PanelQ. How well do you think your local authority has dealt with

the recent very cold weather in terms of gritting and alting local roads and pavements (excluding local roads and trunk roads)

Very well / reasonably / acceptable

Main roads 81%

Minor roads 24%

Pavements 13%

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AA / Populus Panel

Very well / reasonably / acceptable

Scotland Wales NW England

Main roads 80% 88% 71%

Minor roads 27% 31% 27%

Pavements 17% 16% 9%

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AA / Populus Panel

• Drivers in South and NW least satisfied overall

• Northern Ireland most satisfied

• Most dissatisfaction with pavements (90% NW)

   

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Conclusions

• Must loose no time in overhauling plans• Develop ‘self help’ initiatives• Increase budget for winter service• Less postcode lottery - benchmarking• Cost in NHS costs (£1 in salting saves £8 in casualties)• Cost in lost production costs• Encourage safe driving and awareness• Try to better gauge long term climate trends