MOVES to cut traffic volumes must be accompanied by far-reaching measures to reduce road deaths, safety campaigners have told Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. In a letter to Prescott, 23 organisations, including Brake, Transport 2000, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and traffic-free route specialist Sustrans, say the policies of the Transport white paper, due out in May, and the road safety strategy being drawn up by officials must have a common objective to improve safety for all road users.

The campaigners are calling for a national review of speed limits, with nationally-funded trials of town-wide 20mph zones and 10mph 'home zones' with priority for pedestrians on residential streets. They also want the policing of 'road crime' to be given higher priority and the use of speed cameras to made be more widespread - funded by recycling of fine income, alongside a rethink of the penalties imposed for road traffic offences.

The organisations have told Prescott that more must be done to improve the skills and attitudes of road users in order to tackle problems such as speeding, drink-driving, tired driving and low levels of awareness of vulnerable road users. The letter - a copy of which has also been sent to Home Secretary Jack Straw - suggests advanced training for drivers of all types of vehicles, as already adopted by many fleets, education of offenders and improvements to the Highway Code.