Fatalities down 16% year on year
Provisional figures released by the Department for Transport show that 1,857 people died on the roads in 2010, a 16% fall on the previous year and the lowest amount since records began in 1926.
22,660 people were killed or seriously injured – a drop of 8% year on year.
Fatalities amongst chilren was down by 32%.
But there were more cyclists killed in 2010 than 2009 – at 111 the number was up 7%.
Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:
“These are excellent figures. But what comes next? Against a backdrop of falling government spending, the loss of road safety expertise at local council level and no long-term targets there is a danger these figures could mark the bottom of the casualty curve rather than another milestone on the route towards more reductions in years to come.
“Many European countries are aiming to reduce road deaths by around 50% over the next decade. We must not be overtaken by others in the drive to cut casualties but redouble our efforts to keep up the good work.”
In May the UN launched its Decade of Action on Road Safety to try and reduce the huge number of people dying on the globe’s roads; currently 1.3 million per year.
ENDS
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Philip Gomm – Head of External Communications – 020 7747 3445 / 07711 776448