Road safety award win
Dudley Council has won a second award this year for a local road safety scheme.
The Oakham Road local safety scheme was recognised at the Mercia IHE Award for Safety and Innovation in April and has now been named Road Safety Scheme of the Year 2022 at the prestigious Highways Awards in London.
The scheme was implemented in partnership with TWM Traffic Control Systems Ltd who provided an intelligent warning sign which warns of turning vehicles at a blind bend / junction before they become visible to the driver. This was complemented by interactive chevron signs and other localised highway improvements.
Oakham Road has seen a dramatic reduction in injury collisions because of the scheme. There were 14 recorded injury collisions in the 5 years before the intervention and this cluster has been eliminated with no recorded injury collisions in the 12 months since the work was completed.
The team fought off tough competition from across the country to claim the national award. Judges commented that “the scheme provided excellent value for money and demonstrated a targeted and specific use of technology to solve an identified road safety issue.”
Councillor Shaz Saleem, cabinet member for public realm, said:
This is a fantastic example of how working with modern technology and our partners can markedly improve road safety. We implemented an early warning system for drivers, but its site-specific design means the impact has been immediate.
I’m really pleased that the scheme has been recognised for its innovation and effectiveness not just once, but twice and that we’ve helped to make the road significantly safer for road users.
This is a sign of our commitment to ensuring our roads are safe and I’d like to say thank you to all our staff who work incredibly hard
The work was funded through Dudley Council’s annual local safety scheme programme and supports the council’s plan to make Dudley a safe and healthy borough.