Latest Department for Transport figures show reduction in road accidents and injuries

Posted: 19/02/2014

The Department for Transport has recently published its latest quarterly estimates for reported road casualties in Great Britain and found the following:

• Road deaths are down 2% from 1,761 to 1,730
• Road casualties of all severities are down 7% from 197,700 to 184,010
• Child casualties of all severities are down 11% to 15,730 and the number of those killed or seriously injured are down by 15%
• Deaths between July and September 2013 remained unchanged at 470 from the same period last year
• Serious injuries between July and September 2013 were down 3% from the same period last year
• Slight injuries between July and September 2013 were down by 4% from the same period last year.

The latest figures continue the theme of improvement in road safety. Since 2009 the number of road fatalities have shown a downward trend (2009: 2,222, 2010: 1,850, 2011: 1,901, 2012: 1,754), as have figures for all casualties (2009: 222,000, 2010: 209,000, 2011: 204,000, 2012: 192,000). This is a positive trend on Great Britain’s increasingly busy roads.

William Broadbent, associate in the personal injury team at Penningtons Manches LLP, which deals with many cases of serious injury arising from road accidents, comments:  “While the reasons for the decline seem unclear, we hope that the message from numerous road safety organisations and agencies is hitting home and Britain’s drivers are starting to take more responsibility for themselves and other road users. For example, recent figures relating to drink driving revealed an encouraging decrease in those being stopped for driving under the influence of alcohol. There has, however, been a worrying increase in the number of people stopped who were driving under the influence of other drugs which suggests that the message that 'drug-driving' is just as dangerous as drink driving is not getting through.

“Although the figures show encouraging trends, there is no room for complacency and the current figures should still not be regarded “acceptable”. The recent spate of cyclist fatalities in London highlights one particular group where figures have remained almost unchanged in recent years (2010: 10, 2011: 16, 2012: 14, 2013: 14). These figures are still too high and it is important that we do not lose sight of the particular groups at risk simply because the headline rates are improving.”

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