Economic Downturn Reduced Road Deaths in 2010
Discussion
http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/road-freight-in...
Road deaths drop well below 2000 for the first time in 2010.
Welcome road casualty reductions but RoSPA urges caution for future
As detailed road casualty figures for Great Britain are published, RoSPA welcomes the significant drops in death and injury but cautions that the success is partly due to unusual economic and weather factors which may not continue in coming years.
Figures published by the Department for Transport today show that 1,850 people were killed in reported road accidents in Great Britain during 2010, a reduction of 372 (17 per cent) on the previous year's figure. A further 22,660 people were seriously injured (a reduction of eight per cent) and 184,138 people were slightly injured (a reduction of six per cent).
Despite the overall reduction in casualties, there was a disappointing rise in the number of cyclists killed - to 111, an increase of seven (seven per cent) on 2009. The number of cyclists seriously injured also increased, by two per cent to 2,660. The number of casualties in heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) also rose: there was a 100 per cent increase in HGV occupants who were killed - from 14 in 2009 in 28 in 2010 - and a five per cent increase in those who were seriously injured - from 175 in 2009 to 184 in 2010.
The number of children who were killed on the road fell by a third, from 81 in 2009 to 55 in 2010. Deaths and injuries in other high risk groups also fell. Passenger deaths in cars with young drivers fell by 36 per cent from 145 to 93 and young driver deaths fell by 17 per cent from 191 to 158. Pedestrian deaths fell by 19 per cent from 500 to 405 and motorcycle user deaths by 15 per cent from 472 to 403.
The number of people killed in accidents in which a driver was using a mobile phone increased from 15 in 2009 to 28 in 2010.
Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "In 2010, road deaths on Great Britain's roads fell well below 2,000 for the first time. This was a fantastic achievement. However, there is still more to be done; if all the reported road accidents in 2010 had been prevented, this would have saved almost £15billion - crucial given the current economic climate.
"During the last three years we have had unusually large drops in the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads. This very welcome result is due to the focus we have had on road safety, but also to some external factors such as the economic downturn, falling traffic levels and heavy snowfalls over the last two winters. We need to consider how we can ensure that the major reductions in death and injury do not stop or, even worse, start to increase if the economy picks up and we have milder winters.
"The Strategic Framework for Road Safety along with funding and political support for road safety will be even more important if activity on the road increases over the next few years otherwise we may lose many of the road safety gains made recently.
"And, as good as the reductions in young driver related deaths are, we need to realise that this is partly due to a fall in the proportion of young people holding driving licences and that young driver accidents still account for a quarter of all road deaths."
Road deaths drop well below 2000 for the first time in 2010.
Welcome road casualty reductions but RoSPA urges caution for future
As detailed road casualty figures for Great Britain are published, RoSPA welcomes the significant drops in death and injury but cautions that the success is partly due to unusual economic and weather factors which may not continue in coming years.
Figures published by the Department for Transport today show that 1,850 people were killed in reported road accidents in Great Britain during 2010, a reduction of 372 (17 per cent) on the previous year's figure. A further 22,660 people were seriously injured (a reduction of eight per cent) and 184,138 people were slightly injured (a reduction of six per cent).
Despite the overall reduction in casualties, there was a disappointing rise in the number of cyclists killed - to 111, an increase of seven (seven per cent) on 2009. The number of cyclists seriously injured also increased, by two per cent to 2,660. The number of casualties in heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) also rose: there was a 100 per cent increase in HGV occupants who were killed - from 14 in 2009 in 28 in 2010 - and a five per cent increase in those who were seriously injured - from 175 in 2009 to 184 in 2010.
The number of children who were killed on the road fell by a third, from 81 in 2009 to 55 in 2010. Deaths and injuries in other high risk groups also fell. Passenger deaths in cars with young drivers fell by 36 per cent from 145 to 93 and young driver deaths fell by 17 per cent from 191 to 158. Pedestrian deaths fell by 19 per cent from 500 to 405 and motorcycle user deaths by 15 per cent from 472 to 403.
The number of people killed in accidents in which a driver was using a mobile phone increased from 15 in 2009 to 28 in 2010.
Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "In 2010, road deaths on Great Britain's roads fell well below 2,000 for the first time. This was a fantastic achievement. However, there is still more to be done; if all the reported road accidents in 2010 had been prevented, this would have saved almost £15billion - crucial given the current economic climate.
"During the last three years we have had unusually large drops in the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads. This very welcome result is due to the focus we have had on road safety, but also to some external factors such as the economic downturn, falling traffic levels and heavy snowfalls over the last two winters. We need to consider how we can ensure that the major reductions in death and injury do not stop or, even worse, start to increase if the economy picks up and we have milder winters.
"The Strategic Framework for Road Safety along with funding and political support for road safety will be even more important if activity on the road increases over the next few years otherwise we may lose many of the road safety gains made recently.
"And, as good as the reductions in young driver related deaths are, we need to realise that this is partly due to a fall in the proportion of young people holding driving licences and that young driver accidents still account for a quarter of all road deaths."
Not sure about all that up there ^^^^^ I am not clever enough to digest that in one sitting 
But, once the sh!t hit the fan, and fuel prices started getting silly, I am sure that the average motorway/A Road speeds "seemed" to drop, hence the knock on affect?
The above wot I just wrote may be tosh, but go easy on me it has been a hard day
But, once the sh!t hit the fan, and fuel prices started getting silly, I am sure that the average motorway/A Road speeds "seemed" to drop, hence the knock on affect?
The above wot I just wrote may be tosh, but go easy on me it has been a hard day
I saw these figures a few weeks ago. Its an all time low for the UK and although traffic levels reduced 2% in 2010, it has come at a time with alot of cars on the road. In the 60s and 70s over 6,000 were dying every year on the roads, despite there only being around seven cars in all of Britain.
I'd like to go through them all much more in depth. Specifically the cyclist ones and what those accidents were, if such data is available.
Its also worth pointing out over 200 people were killed last year on the roads as a result of drink driving (either the drunk or someone they hit) so we should remove those stats from the 1800 odd as well all the ones with no licence, mot, tax, insurance etc. Remove all the ones which involved serious speeding or law breaking of any kind and it'd be interesting to see what the number is then, as in how many people get killed when everyones doing everything lawfully and properly.
Road deaths accounted for just 0.5% of deaths last year in the UK in total. Roads are safer than Hospitals.
I'd like to go through them all much more in depth. Specifically the cyclist ones and what those accidents were, if such data is available.
Its also worth pointing out over 200 people were killed last year on the roads as a result of drink driving (either the drunk or someone they hit) so we should remove those stats from the 1800 odd as well all the ones with no licence, mot, tax, insurance etc. Remove all the ones which involved serious speeding or law breaking of any kind and it'd be interesting to see what the number is then, as in how many people get killed when everyones doing everything lawfully and properly.
Road deaths accounted for just 0.5% of deaths last year in the UK in total. Roads are safer than Hospitals.
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