Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Haringey Revealed as 5th Most Dangerous London Borough for Pedestrians

In a report last week, The Guardian Newspaper reported research by Dr Rachel Aldred at the University of Westminster. This revealed that for every billion walking trips that occur in London, 600 people are killed or injured on average, the analysis showed.

Whilst Barking and Dagenham is the worst affected borough where the number rises to 825, Haringey with 770 comes in fifth. Three more boroughs that averaged more than 700 deaths or injuries per billion walking trips are Hackney at 796, Brent with 793 and Redbridge at 790.

“We don’t know why this gap exists, although it fits with other evidence suggesting pedestrians from lower income backgrounds are at higher risk of injury than are better off pedestrians,” said Aldred. “It reinforces the need for proven measures to reduce road danger across London, such as reducing speed limits and ensuring that drivers stick to those lower speeds.”

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Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on September 27, 2018 at 0:00

I think if I sit at home long enough to make sense of Rachel Aldred's papers and crude analysis I may well reduce Haringey's score of injury/fatality risks for older aged pedestrians - unless she counts aggravated pain in the butt and incidence of piles as against short pedestrian journeys to and from the bathroom.

My only queries are: why does she need to do this? Hasn't she enough letters after her name? Has Westminster Uni put out a call for more research papers?

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Fowler on September 28, 2018 at 10:22

By all means criticise the research methodology, but there is no need to make ad hominem attacks on the researcher and the university where she works.

The dangers from motor vehicles to pedestrians (and cyclists) in the form of pedestrian deaths or injuries is probably quite small in comparison to the number of London residents who are having their lives shortened by air pollution from petrol and diesel vehicles. The sooner that all motor vehicles in London have to be electric, the better for all.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on September 28, 2018 at 12:10

I accept your points, Christopher. Although is there a need to choose either/or?

In any case, to the victims of accidents, their friends, families, and work colleagues, the numbers don't matter. Statistics don't help to assess or measure the pain of loss.

So yes, we need urgently to make breathing our air less harmful. And to end the complacent nonsense of making ten year plans which everyone knows won't be carried through. Or, another example, bring to trial car manufacturers who fake test results for harmful emissions.

In ending road deaths and injuries, we can and should find ways to achieve this without removing people from the roads. For example, by confining children to their homes or family cars.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Fowler on September 28, 2018 at 13:28

I agree with everything you say, Alan. It is never either/or. We need to see government action on reducing - hopefully, eliminating - air pollution from motor vehicles. And we also need to see action to make road use safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Agreed - road/pavement space is public space, and should be safe for all.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on September 28, 2018 at 10:46

Why does she need to do this? Why not be generous and assume she is trying to save lives and avoid injuries?
That's the impression I get from looking at her twitter pages.
https://twitter.com/RachelAldred

After all, it's not as though Haringey's high ranking in the road danger league is a reason for complacency. Many of us quite rightly get angry when for example, there's a dangerous crossing near our homes. And especially when we get fobbed-off by Council staff who quote statistics to "prove" we are mistaken. If Dr Aldred can help us and the Council make better decisions ...?

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Permalink Reply by Peter Corley on September 28, 2018 at 10:46

While this report and your comments are most interesting, and offer lots of food for thought, I think the bottom line is enforcement, which is so lacking in Haringey and no doubt in all or most other boroughs. One of my pet aversions is cyclists haring along pavements, eg. I recently saw a cyclist turn quite fast on the pavement of Salisbury Road, N22, into Lordship Lane. He couldn't possibly have seen what was round the corner, which turned out to be a young severely disabled man with two walking sticks. Fortunately, the cyclist must have miraculously missed him, as when I arrived on the main road (a little way behind the cyclist) the pedestrian didn't look unduly perturbed.
Elizabeth Adams

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Permalink Reply by michaelw on September 28, 2018 at 13:21

It's true that there are some bad cyclists around, but given that far, far more people are injured and killed by motor vehicles I'm amazed at how little focus there is on enforcement of the highway code and laws, e.g.:

- why is it that speed cameras must be identified so that drivers know where they aren't, so facilitating law breaking (eg speeding on St Anne's road

- why is it so easy for other road users (including cyclists and pedestrians) to spot drivers illegally using mobile phones at the wheel, how can enforcement be strengthened?

- why do so few drivers understand how to use indicators - I was taught 'mirror, signal, manoeuvre' (maybe it's changed?) - large numbers of drivers do not indicate at all (I always wonder how they are planning to drive through the building straight on), many of those that do indicate did so only after they have started a manoeuvre. This is an important - and basic - safety feature built into cars, why are people not being prosecuted for failure to use them properly? You could raise an absolute fortune in fines!!