Skip to main content

Rise in percentage of younger UK children involved in road accidents

The AXA RoadSafe report shows that although there has been a reduction in the number of children involved in road accidents in the UK in recent years, with the figure now standing at over 2,400 per year, there has been an increase in the proportion of those under the age of five being involved in accidents. Out of the children who are injured or killed, 14% are under the age of five, which compares to just 11% in 2001. This means that more than 300 children under the age of five are being injured or killed
June 19, 2013 Read time: 2 mins

The AXA 3441 RoadSafe report shows that although there has been a reduction in the number of children involved in road accidents in the UK in recent years, with the figure now standing at over 2,400 per year, there has been an increase in the proportion of those under the age of five being involved in accidents.

Out of the children who are injured or killed, 14% are under the age of five, which compares to just 11% in 2001. This means that more than 300 children under the age of five are being injured or killed on the roads each year.

The report also shows that out of the accidents taking place during the school run, nearly one in three (32%) involve secondary school children. Many children are thought to be being distracted by mobile phones and other handheld devices, with the AXA RoadSafe report calling for better road safety education, particularly for primary school children.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Eyes on the road – the distraction problem
    June 23, 2016
    The news that Europe’s road safety drive stalled in 2015 is a cause for concern. The actual causes of this stutter in the road with regard to boosting safety have yet to be identified. But it is highly likely that driver distraction plays a role, at least in part. There is plenty of research showing just how much of a risk the use of cellphones pose for drivers. And yet far too many drivers are blasé about the risks these pose for driver distraction. The sight of someone using a cellphone at the wheel i
  • Better road safety reduces Europe’s casualty figures
    October 2, 2014
    Improving road safety in the EU has resulted in a drop in the fatality rate. Official figures just released show that the number of people killed on Europe's roads fell by 8% in 2013. This follows on from the drop in fatalities of between 2011 and 2012 and Europe is on track to halve road deaths in the 2010-2020 period Figures released by the European Commission provide grounds for optimism and Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said, “We welcome the reductio
  • Record low for UK road deaths
    March 1, 2012
    Figures published by the UK Department for Transport have confirmed that annual road deaths have reached an all-time low
  • Rise in road deaths in France and Germany for start of 2014
    June 2, 2014
    The latest official data from France and Germany reveals a worrying increase in road related fatalities for the first quarter of 2014. This follows a period of several years in which the casualty statistics have improved. The preliminary figures from Germany's Federal Statistics Office, Destatis, reveal that the number of people killed road traffic crashes in Germany rose by 4.2% to 640 in the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same period in the previous year.