MP launches road safety campaign

Rossendale and Darwen MP Andy MacNae has launched a major constituency-wide road safety campaign.

Following the release of the Government’s new Road Safety Strategy, his initiative aims to tackle the long-standing history of speeding and “near misses” that have plagued local key roads, moving the focus from reactive measures to proactive prevention.

Residents across the constituency have long reported concerns regarding dangerous driving, yet current regional strategies often delay intervention until after a serious injury or fatality has occurred.

The Labour backbencher who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Transport Safety will hold three public consultations – one in Darwen, one in Rawtenstall and one in Bacup – the feedback from which will be presented to local authorities.
 
The campaign seeks to challenge the outdated road safety strategy currently employed by Lancashire County Council.

Mr. MacNae is calling for a fundamental shift in how safety is measured, arguing that the council must intervene based on known risks and community feedback rather than waiting for accidents to happen.

He is working with Blackburn with Darwen Council to identify specific areas within the Darwen end of the constituency that are most in need of intervention.

A key catalyst for the campaign has been the advocacy of local residents, including a recent petition by Bacup schoolboy William Cartwright calling for a safe crossing to help students reach classes.

Mr MacNae said:  “I am calling on the residents of Rossendale and Darwen to join my road safety campaign and help send a strong message that we need to intervene before accidents happen, not after.

“For too long, our communities have lived with the reality of near misses and dangerous speeding.

“We need a strategy that values prevention and listens to the lived experience of the people who use these roads every day.”