Tag Archives: Equality Streets

DfT and ministerial negligence

Posted on 6th October 2018 by Martin Cassini

A government paper announces funding for local authorities to ‘tackle air pollution’. One of its grotesquely overdue measures is to ‘adjust traffic signals to cut congestion’. So the paper is an open admission that traffic lights contribute to 40,000 premature deaths a … Continue reading →

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Voice in the wilderness

Posted on 22nd September 2018 by Martin Cassini

Last year there were 240 deaths from drink driving. Richard Allsop of the RAC Foundation estimates there would be 25 fewer deaths if the drink-drive limit were cut from .08 to .05. The story made the news, but the numbers … Continue reading →

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Corporate manslaughter

Posted on 22nd September 2018 by Martin Cassini

It’s well-known that dirty urban air causes lung, heart and developmental damage, but increasingly it’s being linked to brain damage. The Times didn’t break the news but covered it on 19 September under the front page headline, “Dementia soars in … Continue reading →

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The goons (the unfunny ones)

Posted on 21st September 2018 by Martin Cassini

I diverge on only one point with street designer, Ben Hamilton-Baillie. He thinks street redesign alone can bring about the desired behaviour change from hostility to civility, or danger to safety. I’ve always thought it should be preceded by, or … Continue reading →

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Another avoidable road death

Posted on 12th September 2018 by Martin Cassini

Report here. To blame for this road death, of course, is the malign system of priority. Once again, of course, the perpetrators of the system will get away with what amounts to manslaughter. The onus for road safety should be on … Continue reading →

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State-sponsored neglect

Posted on 11th September 2018 by Martin Cassini

Last week I saw a woman with two toddlers trying to cross Portland Road at the east end of Ilfracombe High St. For a full two minutes, a stream of drivers ignored them, including a district councillor I know but … Continue reading →

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Taking the drama out of a crisis

Posted on 28th August 2018 by Martin Cassini

Today’s Guardian led with a piece about a comprehensive Chinese study which shows that air pollution (already implicated in 7 million premature deaths a year worldwide) damages intelligence and cognitive function, not just in foetuses and children, but in adults, … Continue reading →

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The law is an ass (Part 383)

Posted on 19th August 2018 by Martin Cassini

Chief Constable Anthony Bangham of West Mercia Police, national head of roads policing, proposes penalising drivers for exceeding the speed limit by 1mph. “We are proud to be law enforcers,” he says. He seems to embody the dangerous banality of roads … Continue reading →

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When will they ever learn?

Posted on 12th August 2018 by Martin Cassini

Should the offence of dangerous cycling be brought into line with dangerous driving? A 3-month consultation has been announced. Cycling UK says it’s an opportunity to review road safety legislation in general. As usual, public debate about road safety refers … Continue reading →

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Paradigm for paradise

Posted on 9th August 2018 by Martin Cassini

It’s anomalous, and scandalous, that while public services are cut to the bone, tens of £billions are blown on a traffic system which amounts to a public disservice. The system is dysfunctional. It fails on every count: safety, health, efficiency, … Continue reading →

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