About Us

The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP) is continuing its work  to reduce road casualties across Sussex with the three “E”s - Education, Engineering and Enforcement.

Every year in the Partnership, we refine and develop new strategies in these three key areas to make the roads of Sussex safer, building safer communities by sharing the responsibility and engaging with members of the public - our greatest asset in the development a safer road environment.

We are funded by Government grant through the three local highway authorities, East and West Sussex County Councils and Brighton and Hove City Council. Other partners are Sussex Police, the Fire and Rescue Services from West and East Sussex, the Highways Agency and HM Courts’ Service.

The Partnership, which still has camera enforcement as its core activity, evolved from the Sussex Safety Camera Partnership and took on a wider remit to include road safety education and engineering when the funding route from the Department for Transport changed in April 2007 and runs for four years ending in March 2011.

We are no longer directly funded by money from speeding fines – the amount of Government grant we receive is currently based on casualty data between 1994 and 1998.

Our role is to support our partner authorities to achieve the 2010 national targets for casualty reduction in Sussex - a 40 per cent reduction in killed and seriously injured (KSIs) and a 50 per cent reduction in child KSI casualties.

Political Leadership

The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership is lead by Cabinet Members from the three local highway authorities.  At present, these are:

• Councillor Pieter Montyn - Cabinet Member for HIghways and Transport and Deputy Leader, West Sussex County Council
• Councillor Carl Maynard - Cabinet Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, East Sussex County Council
• Councillor Ian Davey - Cabinet Member for transport & Public Realm, Brighton and Hove City Council

Education and Campaigning
Educating all road users is a key priority for the SSRP. Many collisions can be avoided by providing the right education to different road user groups, for example, encouraging them to take regular rest breaks on long journeys, to wear something bright on dark nights or to be aware of the dangers of  driving too fast.

Engineering
The SSRP’s Engineering and Enforcement Group are continually reviewing casualty data and identifying places or stretches on the road network which would benefit from safety improvements to reduce the risk to all road users.

Analysis of the factors involved in collisions is vitally important when identifying such areas, and feasibility studies are then carried out to determine the best engineering solution for the circumstances, from installing a pedestrian refuge in the middle of a busy road to completely re-profiling a sharp bend. Engineering solutions play a vital part in making our roads safer for all.

The SSRP Engineering and Enforcement Group includes representatives from the Accident Investigation and Prevention (AIP) teams of the three local highway authorities; Sussex Police Roads Policing Inspectors; Police Traffic Management the Highways Agency and the SSRP Operations Manager.

Enforcement
There are too many serious accidents on the roads of Sussex and speed is regularly identified as being a contributory factor. The faster you are travelling the less time you have to react in challenging driving situations.
Safety cameras and high-visibility mobile enforcement operations are two methods of helping us change driver behaviour and reduce speeds on our roads.

While other authorities have taken a covert approach to mobile camera enforcement, our enforcement teams are always situated in highly visible locations, wear fluorescent jackets and have highly-branded vehicles advertising their presence.

The large majority of our camera sites are signed in accordance with DfT guidelines. However, signs may not be present at some exceptional sites that are used in support of specific Police operations. The operators working at those sites will always be advertising their presence with the same clothing and vehicles as at all our other sites.

In addition to camera enforcement, Sussex Police (the SSRP’s enforcement partner) operates marked and unmarked cars and motorcycles to patrol the county’s roads, looking for not only speeding offences, but also anti-social drivers, those under the influence of alcohol/drugs, individuals not wearing seatbelts or those using a hand held mobile phone behind the wheel.

Community Links

The Partnership is linked into the local community via a network of road safety officers, neighborhood police teams and commnity reporting tools such as Operation Crackdown.  Partnership members also give regular talks to community groups and attend community events.

The Sussex community of residents, businesses and tourists also have a vital part to play in the Partnership's day to day activities. Concerns from local and parish councillors and individuals are taken into account as the partnership plans new road safety initiatives across the county. Whether we receive comments via email, on the telephone or when we meet you at shows and events, it's your feedback about your roads which helps us target areas efficiently and effectively.

Take a look at our annual review below.