M4 Safety Stats

M4 safety stats

A freedom of information request has cast doubt on the Welsh Government’s claims about the safety of the M4 around Newport. A local resident in Newport queried the Welsh Government’s use of safety statistics at its M4 promotional exhibitions in September.

The exhibitions told the Welsh public that “the current accident rates on the M4 between Magor and Castleton are higher than average for UK motorways” [1]. However the Welsh Government has revealed that the information relates to a period 2006-2008, and that the higher accident rates only applied to three of the junctions [2].

Gareth Clubb, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said:

“This is an extraordinary revelation. The Welsh Government claimed that current accident rates on the M4 are higher than the national average. But the data it used was nearly a decade old and show that for much of the stretch of motorway around Newport, accident rates are not only lower than the national average but are improving as a result of variable speed limits.

“Perhaps the Welsh Government thinks it can scare people into believing a new M4 is necessary. We think the Welsh public is wiser than the Welsh Government imagines. A new M4 bypass isn’t needed on safety grounds, it’s a basket case environmentally, and it risks savage cuts to public services due to the monumental price tag”.

ENDS

NOTES

1. http://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/150903-m4-can-information-brochure-en.pdf  

2. http://gov.wales/docs//decisions/2015/transport/151013atisn9777lttr.pdf  

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