Ministers have set out plans to halve the number of casualties on Jersey's roads in the next decade.

That is the stated the aim of the government's first Collision and Casualty Reduction Plan.

The plan details what can be done to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the island's roads.

Data last summer revealed Jersey has the highest road casualty rate in Britain, with 214 in 2023.

Data for 2023 provided by States of Jersey Police

Officials have looked to Sweden and the Netherlands, which have had had success in road safety using the so-called 'Safe System Approach'.

The long-term goal is 'Vision Zero'  - the ambition that deaths and serious injury on the roads are completely eliminated.

"The plan acknowledges that while human error is inevitable, the severity of collisions can be significantly reduced through forgiving road design, safer vehicles, appropriate speeds, better driver behaviour and effective post-collision care and response, and learning lessons from collisions to try and prevent similar collisions occurring in the future."

Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan says he is pleased to publish the first plan of its kind for Jersey,

"Of course, no loss of life on our roads is acceptable and this plan is a commitment to every Islander that we are taking decisive, coordinated action to reduce road harm and protect our community.

“We all have a role to play in making our roads safer. Whether you drive a car, ride a bike, or walk, your decisions matter. Together, we can build a road system where safety is prioritised, and lives are saved.”

St Martin Constable Karen Shenton Stone who, in 2021, successfully prompted a rank and file review of road safety after a teenage boy was serious injured in her parish when he was knocked off his bike, says she is pleased to finally see some progress.

"The Road Safety Board was formed as a result of my Proposition.

"In the past I had been kept up to date with progress and today I heard, along with other States members, that Jersey’s first Collision and Casualty Reduction Plan has been published.

"I'm absolutely delighted because I put the proposition in in 2021 - which was voted for unanimously - to request the Minister for Infrastructure at the time to bring forward legislation and appropriate changes to the highway code, and bring about a hierarchy of road users based on the level of risk in the event of a collision.

"What sparked me was an awful collision in the Parish - a young cyclist was hit by a van. Anything that can help save lives on roads are really to be welcomed."