Number of road deaths increases

Date: 18/7/2012

The number of people who have died on the UK's roads has gone up in the last year, according to a new report published by the House of Commons Transport Committee.

Prior to this new information being released, there had not been an annual increase in road death since 2003.

The increase has led to fears that it may signify the beginning of a longer term trend with the number of people killed on the nation's roads going up instead of falling.

Road accidents kill more 16 to 24-year-olds than anything else each year, the Committee also found, leading to calls that more should be done to improve the record.

The report said: "Stronger leadership and a clearer vision are required from government to communicate the importance of road safety to local decision-makers."

In May last year the government released a road safety strategy designed to improve conditions and further reduce the death rate.

The figures released show that 1,901 people lost their lives in road accidents in 2011 with a large proportion on them involving cyclists.

Mike Penning, the Road Safety Minister, said: "Road safety is a top priority and it remains a fact that Britain's roads are some of the safest in the world."

Areas that have been suggested to come under review in order to reduce the number of deaths include driver training, infrastructure and the speed limit in residential locations.

Professor Stephen Glaister, Director of the RAC Foundation, said: "For as long as humans drive cars there will be accidents. Therefore, if we can't prevent every crash we should make a major effort to mitigate their effects."

In 2010 it was found that 27 per cent of men between the ages of 17 and 19 were involved in a road accident within a year of passing their driving test.

This demographic is one particularly at risk from road collisions and should be targeted for improvement.

Posted by Sarah Bailey

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