The government has released today what it calls ‘the main results’ from its ‘Road Casualties in Great Britain 2006’ statistics:
- The number of people killed in road accidents fell by 1 per cent from 3,201 in 2005 to 3,172 in 2006. 31,845 people were killed or seriously injured in 2006, 1 per cent fewer than in 2005. There were 258,404 road casualties in Great Britain in 2006, 5 per cent less than in 2005.
- There were 189,161 road accidents involving personal injury in 2006, 5 per cent fewer than in 2005. Of these, 27,872 accidents involved death or serious injury, less than 1 per cent fewer than in 2005 (27,942).
- The number of deaths among car users in 2006 was 1,612, 4 per cent less than in the previous year. The number seriously injured fell by 2 per cent to 12,642. Total casualties among car users were 171,000, 4 per cent lower than 2005. Provisional traffic estimates indicate a 1 per cent rise in car and taxi traffic over the period.
- Child casualties fell by 9 per cent. The number of children killed or seriously injured in 2006 was 3,294 (down 5 per cent on 2005). Of those, 2,025 were pedestrians, 5 per cent down on 2005. 169 children died on the roads, 20 per cent more than in 2005, this was about the same level as 2004 (166) which at that time was the lowest ever recorded figure.
- There were 675 pedestrian deaths, 1 per cent more than in 2005. Killed or serious injured casualties fell by 1 per cent to 7,051. The all pedestrian casualty figure fell to 30,982 in 2006, 7 per cent lower than 2005.
- The number of pedal cyclists killed fell by 1 per cent from 148 in 2005 to 146 in 2006. The number of seriously injured rose by 4 per cent to 2,296. However, total casualties among pedal cyclists fell by 2 per cent in 2006 to 16,196.
- There were 599 motorcycle user fatalities in 2006, 5 per cent higher than during 2005. The number of killed or seriously injured remained at about the same level compared to 2005 (down less than 1 per cent from 6,508 in 2005 to 6,484 in 2006). The all motorcycle user casualties figure for 2006 of 23,326 is 6 per cent less than in 2005.
However, Paul Smith, founder of SafeSpeed.org.uk, comented: "The fall of just under 1% in road deaths is further damning evidence of policy failure. Most of our European neighbours are achieving falls of 4% or more and we're entitled to at least that."
"It's obvious from this appalling set of figures that road safety policy isn't working. Pedestrian deaths are up. Child pedestrian deaths are up. Motorcyclist deaths are up. Bus and coach occupant deaths are up. Only car occupant deaths are down, and it's perfectly clear that car occupants are benefiting from improved car technology."
"Department for Transport policies based on the grossly oversimplified notion that 'speed kills' are making matters worse and have been for years. We have to get rid of that notion and build real policies that save real lives again. The best way to start is to get rid of speed cameras because they symbolise the failed policies and the failed thinking."
"20mph zones, speed limit reductions, traffic calming and speed cameras are all wrong-headed policies which aren't working to save British lives. Department for Transport has got it wrong in spades and must be held accountable."
"The serious injury statistics are known to be subject to a huge degree of under-reporting. It is perfectly obvious that the degree of under-reporting is increasing making the figures quite unsuitable for year on year comparison.While serious injuries fell by 35% over a decade, road crash hospitalisations showed a slight rise. Department for Transport claims to be 'investigating' which I presume means that they are still trying to pluck up the courage to admit that their serious injury figures are bunk. They should be ashamed of themselves. Lives are at stake."
"These figures highlight the huge importance to road safety of Safe Speed's 'Scrap Speed Cameras Week'. We have to scrap speed cameras because they are the main symbol of a fatally flawed and ill founded policy that has failed catastrophically.
"Over 28,000 signed our 'Scrap Speed Cameras' petition. They know that something has gone seriously wrong. Why don't Department for Transport?"