UK road safety sees good and bad

There is both good and bad to be seen in the latest data on UK road safety from the Department for Transport (DfT). For the year ending September 2015 there were 23,700 killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties, a 3% decrease compared with the previous year. However road deaths increased by 3% to 1,780, compared with 1,731 for the year ending September 2014. There were also 188,830 reported road casualties of all severities, 3% lower than for the year ending September 2014. Of note is the fact that motor
February 5, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
RSSThere is both good and bad to be seen in the latest data on UK road safety from the 5432 Department for Transport (DfT). For the year ending September 2015 there were 23,700 killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties, a 3% decrease compared with the previous year. However road deaths increased by 3% to 1,780, compared with 1,731 for the year ending September 2014. There were also 188,830 reported road casualties of all severities, 3% lower than for the year ending September 2014. Of note is the fact that motor traffic levels rose by 2.2% compared with the 12 month period ending September 2014. Using this data, the overall casualty rate/vehicle mile decreased by 5% for the same period.

Between July and September 2015 there were 450 road deaths, a 2% decrease from the same quarter in 2014. And KSI casualties decreased by 3% with slightly injured casualties and overall total casualties both falling by 1% compared with the same quarter in 2014.

The data for vulnerable road users shows a gain for safety. The KSI figures for the year ending September 2015 cyclists saw a 5% decrease to 3,340, while the KSI figures for pedestrians dropped 4% to 5.300 and the KSI figures for motorcyclists dropped 3% to 5,350. The KSI figures for car occupants also fell 3% to 8,580. Child KSI casualties dropped 8% to 1,900.

Road safety charity 3963 Brake says it is disappointed over these figures. An estimated 5,620 drink-drive crashes took place in Great Britain in 2014, equivalent to just over 15 collisions/day. These crashes resulted in 240 deaths and represent 14% of all deaths on the roads; there were 8,220 casualties.

Brake’s campaigns director Gary Rae said, “Behind the statistics, families are ripped apart by what is a violent and sudden death. I want to know what the government intends to do to stop these wholly preventable deaths. It’s time for them to take action: reintroduce casualty reduction targets; reduce the drink drive limit to 20mg per 100ml of blood, and introduce much tougher penalties for criminal drivers.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Volvo CE sees strong third quarter results
    October 20, 2017
    Volvo CE is bullish and claims a strong financial performance in its third quarter sales figures. The company claims it has made market share gains in key segments while its financial results have also benefited from good cost control and growing demand in most areas. Volvo CE says it has had an especially strong third quarter for 2017 with sales up 34% to US$1.847 billion (SEK15.1 billion) compared with $1.41 billion (SEK11.54 billion) for the same period in 2016. Meanwhile order intake for the third quart
    Read More
  • Ohio reveals worrying data on workzone crashes
    April 23, 2013
    New data from the US state of Ohio reveals worryingly high levels of highway construction work zone deaths. Fatalities in the state’s highway work zones doubled in the period from 2009-2011, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The figures are the most recent available and include both motorists and construction workers. Meanwhile, ODOT is piloting a new program aimed at reducing vehicle crashes and making construction work zones safer. “ODOT tries to do all we can to e
    Read More
  • €2.27bn UK road investment in 2014 to support over 9,500 construction jobs
    November 11, 2013
    Over 9,500 construction jobs will be supported in 2014 by more than €2.27 billion (£1.9 billion) of investment in Britain’s roads, Transport Minister Robert Goodwill announced today. The total investment in 209 schemes is €5.15 billion (£4.3 billion), with the €2.27 billion to be spent in 2014 more than twice the amount being spent this year. Due to either start or be completed in 2014, these road programmes are estimated to boost the economy by over €22.52 billion (£18.8 billion) and are part of a €119.8
    Read More
  • Traffic enforcement in Jakarta carried out
    January 7, 2016
    Tough enforcement of traffic offences in Indonesia’s congested capital Jakarta is being implemented. During 2015 the number of traffic offenders who received summons increased by 15% to 1,037,828, compared with 865,197 in 2014. Of the total, 428,195 traffic offenders were younger drivers aged from 16 - 30. Most of the road offences were committed by motorcyclists, totalling at some 770,252. Also in 2015, the number of motorists who received summonses for driving in the wrong direction rose by 69.6% to 169,5
    Read More

Highlighted Content