RSSThe 5125 Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), Britain’s largest independent road safety charity, has welcomed new 1439 UK Department for Transport (DfT) road casualty figures showing a fall in the amount of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents.
The DfT reports there were 1, 680 people killed in the year ending March 2013, 10% reduction from 1, 870 in the year ending March 2012. The number of people killed or seriously injured also fell to 23, 660, a 6% decrease.
Meanwhile, pedal cyclist casualties are down 23% on the previous year, with motorcyclist casualties down 27% in 2012 compared to 2011.
“It would seem to be good news with continued sustained falls in car occupant casualties and falls in all vulnerable categories for example pedestrians, bikers and cyclists,” said IAM’s director of policy and research, Neil Greig.
“It is clear that the continued economic downturn (with falling traffic levels) and poor weather are the main causes. The economy is showing signs of improvement and we are having a fantastic summer so we cannot be complacent.”
“The IAM welcomse this good news for the start of 2013 but the real test will come when we see what happened over the spring and summer when cycling in particular will have been much more popular.”
While upbeat over one set of DfT figures, the IAM is concerned that police anti-drink drive campaigns appear to be being ignored by too many motorists, as new DfT provisional estimates for 2012 show that 290 people were killed in drink drive accidents in the UK, an increase of a quarter compared to 2011.
More positive anti-drink drive figures showed there was a 5% decrease in seriously injured drink drive casualties in 2012 to around 1,200.
The 220 fatal drink drive accidents in 2011 resulted in 230 deaths - the lowest number of deaths since reporting began in 1979. Since 1979, there has been an almost six-fold reduction in the number killed in drink drive accidents.
Greig said, “The number of people killed or seriously injured by drink drivers is the real indicator of success in dealing with those who present the biggest danger on our roads. The IAM is concerned that despite continued police campaigns the message does not seem to be getting through to a minority of drivers.”
“This increase shows the critical need for the DfT to reverse cuts in publicity funding and continue to ram home the message that drink-driving kills.”
The DfT reports there were 1, 680 people killed in the year ending March 2013, 10% reduction from 1, 870 in the year ending March 2012. The number of people killed or seriously injured also fell to 23, 660, a 6% decrease.
Meanwhile, pedal cyclist casualties are down 23% on the previous year, with motorcyclist casualties down 27% in 2012 compared to 2011.
“It would seem to be good news with continued sustained falls in car occupant casualties and falls in all vulnerable categories for example pedestrians, bikers and cyclists,” said IAM’s director of policy and research, Neil Greig.
“It is clear that the continued economic downturn (with falling traffic levels) and poor weather are the main causes. The economy is showing signs of improvement and we are having a fantastic summer so we cannot be complacent.”
“The IAM welcomse this good news for the start of 2013 but the real test will come when we see what happened over the spring and summer when cycling in particular will have been much more popular.”
While upbeat over one set of DfT figures, the IAM is concerned that police anti-drink drive campaigns appear to be being ignored by too many motorists, as new DfT provisional estimates for 2012 show that 290 people were killed in drink drive accidents in the UK, an increase of a quarter compared to 2011.
More positive anti-drink drive figures showed there was a 5% decrease in seriously injured drink drive casualties in 2012 to around 1,200.
The 220 fatal drink drive accidents in 2011 resulted in 230 deaths - the lowest number of deaths since reporting began in 1979. Since 1979, there has been an almost six-fold reduction in the number killed in drink drive accidents.
Greig said, “The number of people killed or seriously injured by drink drivers is the real indicator of success in dealing with those who present the biggest danger on our roads. The IAM is concerned that despite continued police campaigns the message does not seem to be getting through to a minority of drivers.”
“This increase shows the critical need for the DfT to reverse cuts in publicity funding and continue to ram home the message that drink-driving kills.”
