Irresponsible MP Emily Thornberry slammed over road safety record

12.51.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 24th Oct 2008

Emily Thornberry would be condemning 100 people a year to death or serious injury.

Liberal Democrat councillors in Islington have slammed Islington South's Labour MP Emily Thornberry for her life-threatening calls to scrap road safety schemes in the borough. MP Emily has been calling for the council to tear up speed humps, ignoring evidence that the traffic calming measures have saved lives.

Lib Dem Councillor Greg Foxsmith

Research has shown that excessive speed is a major factor in a third of all road deaths. If a vehicle travelling at 40 mph hits a pedestrian or cyclist there is only a 25% chance of survival. At 20mph the chance of survival jumps to 95%.

The Transport Research Laboratory was commissioned by Transport for London to research the effectiveness of London's self-enforcing 20mph zones. They found that there has been a 57% drop in deaths and serious injuries as a result of traffic accidents.

As a result of road safety measures, the total number of casualties on Islington's roads fell from 1,255 in 2002 to 599 in 2007. The number of people killed or seriously injured fell from 174 to 81 because new traffic calming schemes, including speed humps.

Councillor Greg Foxsmith, Liberal Democrat transport chief, said:

"Emily Thornberry is irresponsible in calling on the council to rip up vital traffic calming schemes. As a direct result of road safety schemes hundreds of people in this borough, including children, have avoided serious injury or death. Emily would essentially be condemning 100 people a year to death or serious injury.

"This council never puts in speed humps unless residents ask for them. But in the last consultation, 75% of residents at Highbury Fields, including drivers, voted in favour of humps. Local residents are sick of motorists speeding through their streets, and value the safety of their kids more than the convenience of motorists.

"We're on the side of residents who want to live on safe streets. If that puts us at loggerheads with the Jeremy Clarksons and Emily Thornberrys of the world, then I'm not sorry."