Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2018

Neil Jones

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2018-0163, written 25 May 2018. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report25 May 2018
Reference2018-0163
DeceasedNeil Jones
CoronerSean McGovern
Coroner areaWarwickshire
CategoryAlcohol, drug and medication related deaths · Road (Highways Safety) related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published1

The report

Text recovered by OCR from a scanned PDF. OCR is imperfect: check anything you rely on against the source PDF. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS (1)

NOTE: This form is to be used after an inquest.

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS
THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

1. Chief Executive - Warwickshire County Council nn

CORONER

lam S McGovern, senior coroner, for the coroner area of Warwickshire

CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS

| make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule §, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2073.

INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On 18 December 2017 | commenced an investigation into the death of Neil JONES 26
years old. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 25 May 2018. The
conclusion of the inquest was that Mr Jones died as the result of a Road Traffic Collision

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

Mr Jones was attended the Bel Air nightclub at the Belfry Resort. He was ejected from
the nightclub due to his intoxicated condition. He was hit by vehicle at about 1.30am on
the A446 outside the Belfry Resort.

CORONER’S CONCERNS

During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In
my opinion there is a risk that future deaths wilt occur unless action is taken. In the
circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.

The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows. ~
(1) There have been 4 (four) fatal road traffic collisions at this site over 10 years
despite a reduction in the speed limit to 50 mph.in 2008.1 am aware that the site
is being considered as a casualty reduction scheme although [ understand no
final decision has been made.

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe you as Chief
Executive of Warwickshire County Council have the power to take such action.

YOUR RESPONSE

|__| Senior Coroner § McGovern 3 WA Cyven.

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report,
namely by 25 July 2018. f, the coroner, may extend the period.

Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out
the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed.

COPIES and PUBLICATION

i have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested
Persons (2) EE rncther) (b§Erartner) & (c) Belfry Hotel & Resort

fam also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your response.

The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary
form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it usefui
or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your
response, about the release or the publication of your response by the Chief Coroner.

25 May 2018

Responses

1 response published against this report on judiciary.uk. A response is a body's written reply to the coroner's concerns; publication is at the discretion of the Chief Coroner's office, so an absent response does not mean nobody replied.

Response from Warwickshire County Council (PDF)
Warwickshire
County Council

Legal Services
Shire Hall, Warwick, CV34 4RL
DX 723362 Warwick 5

Mr Sean McGovern
Senior Coroner

24th July 2018

Dear Mr McGovern

I am writing in response to the concerns raised by your investigation and report of 1st May
2018 into  the  death of Mr  Neil  Jones.  Mr  Jones  died  as  a result of a  road  traffic  collision
which  occurred  on  16th  December  2017  during  the  hours  of  darkness  on  the  A446
Lichfield Rd, Wishaw near the Belfry hotel.  Our understanding is that excessive speed and
lighting were not given as causative factors.

The County Council has carefully considered your report and the matters of concern raised
in it, specifically that there have been  4 fatal collisions at this site over 10 years despite a
reduction in the speed limit to 50 mph in 2008.

Notification  of  the  collision  was received  by  the  County  Council on 18th  December  2017.
Following this notification Lee Williams a Road Safety Engineer, from the Traffic and Road
Safety  Group  attended  the  site  with  Rod  Lake,  the  traffic  Management  Assistant  from
Warwickshire  and  West  Mercia  Police’s  Road  Safety  Team.  This  site  visit  is  a  normal
procedure following any fatal road accident.

The  purpose  of  the  site  visit  is  to  ascertain  whether  for  safety  reasons  there  are  any
immediate  actions  that  need  to  be  taken  in  respect  to  the  highway  and  any  possible
defects and/or improvements  that should be  remedied or carried out without  delay.  At the
time of the inspection officers  attending agreed that there were no immediate actions that
needed to be undertaken.

The County Council addresses road safety in a number of ways.  In the case of this length
of  road, the  relevant  programme  is the  casualty  reduction programme.  We  undertake an
annual review of all collision cluster sites and routes across the County in order to identify
those with the worst collision records and where there is a pattern of causes which can be
addressed by engineering measures.  The  number  of possible schemes  considered each
year  across  the  County  exceeds  the  annual  funding  available  for  the  programme  and,
therefore, it is necessary to prioritise  schemes according to objective criteria.  The  criteria
identify those schemes which will deliver the greatest reduction in casualties for the money
spent.

Lexcet

Practice .‘Mnagetrent Standard

Law  Society Accredited

Printed on  100% recycled paper

 As part of the annual casualty reduction scheme analysis, the review of the A446 Lichfield
Road revealed  that there had been 36  collisions within a 5  year period, of which 12 were
serious and 4 fatal.  4 of the 36 accidents occurred during the hours of darkness.  One of
the fatal accidents was comparable to the death of Mr Jones in that it involved a pedestrian
affected by intoxication being struck by a vehicle at night.

The death of Mr Jones increases the number of casualties on this length of the A444 and
thus  will  affect  the  prioritisation  of  schemes.  However,  until  we  have  completed  our
scheme  short  listing process it is  not  possible to commit to  any  scheme.  Given that the
resources available are finite, any decision to implement one scheme will mean that one or
more other schemes cannot be implemented elsewhere.  Therefore, it is important that the
prioritisation process is adhered to before committing funds to a scheme.  We are currently
undertaking this process and would expect to make a decision by the end of September at
which point we will be able to confirm the outcome.

Options for consideration should a casualty reduction scheme be prioritised at this location
could include extending the 50 mph limit over the whole length of the A444 from Bassetts
Polo  to  the  A4091  roundabout  and  introducing  average  speed  cameras  to  enforce  the
limit.  In  addition  to  enforcing  speed  limits,  average  speed  cameras  can  encourage
vehicles  to  travel  at  more  regular  and  consistent speeds  and  that  can  help  other  road
users  judge their speed better. However the final design of any scheme introduced would
be  dependent  upon  more  detailed  work  that  would be  required  along  the  stretch  of  the
highway concerned.

The County Council has taken very seriously your report and the concerns raised in it.  I do
hope  that  through this letter  both  you,  and the family of  Mr Jones,  can he assured of the
County  Council’s commitment to casualty reduction schemes and to reducing the number
of tragedies on the county’s highways in the fuluie.

Yours sincerely

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