Anna Dixon MP for Shipley, has today raised the concerns expressed to her by local constituents in a speech during a Westminster Hall debate on road safety.
The Labour MP shared how she has been personally affected by road traffic accidents and spoke of her support for changes including making it easier for local people to get speed cameras installed in dangerous areas.
The Member of Parliament also spoke of her gratitude to local Bingley councillor Marcus Dearden and the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, who she worked with in 2024 to get a new speed camera installed on a piece of road in Bingley that was "often used as a racetrack by young drivers".
In her speech at the Road Safety: Young Drivers, Anna Dixon said: "Road safety is a serious concern for my constituents. In 2023, there were 183 reported injuries and one fatality on our roads. In early 2024, prior to being elected, I campaigned with local councillor Marcus Dearden and the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, to address speeding issues in Bingley.
"We successfully secured average speed cameras on a 50 mph stretch of dual carriageway that was often used as a racetrack by young drivers, but it is challenging to get those sorts of road safety measures in place.
"We have already heard from others about the higher risk that young drivers face. One in four deaths from collisions involves a young car driver, and we know that this is more prevalent among young men. We have also heard people speak movingly about the huge impact on families. When I was growing up, a school friend’s younger brother died tragically in a motorbike accident on the A65 between Ilkley and Burley in Wharfedale, in my constituency. His parents and brother have suffered a lifetime of grief as a result of that accident.
"I strongly support the West Yorkshire Vision Zero strategy, which takes a partnership approach to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2040. It brings together the combined authority, the local authority, the emergency services and National Highways, as well as victim support services and road safety campaigners. I really hope that such approaches are implemented and supported nationally by my hon. Friend the Minister.
"We need to make it easier for local people to identify speeding hotspots where speed cameras are needed and to push for them. In addition, I urge the Minister to give some consideration to post-test licence restrictions, possibly through an amendment to the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995, which has already introduced a new driver probation period of two years.
"In closing, I emphasise that we must also recognise that older drivers pose a risk to themselves and others, with those over 86 posing a similar risk to young men. Perhaps I will bring that forward as a topic for future debate. "