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RoSPA & IAM: road deaths and injuries down, but not by enough

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Author: | Updated: 30 Jun 2016 13:08

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and IAM Roadsmart – major road safety charities – say more must be done to prevent death and injury on the UK’s roads.

The statements come after new statistics show the number of road deaths and injuries on British roads are beginning to stagnate after years of impressive decline.

More needs to be done to decrease death and injury on UK roads, say major charities

The Department for Transport released statistics revealing that road deaths have fallen by 2% in 2015, with 1,732 total deaths (the second lowest figure on record) compared to the previous year’s 1,775.

The number of serious injuries also fell by 3% over the same period. Despite the decrease, RoSPA warn the figures suggest stagnation, with no significant drop in casualties since 2011.

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Figures stagnating

Kevin Clinton, RoSPA head of road safety, said: “We are pleased to see that fatalities and injuries have dropped since 2014, but the longer-term trend seems to be showing stagnation, so they are not falling steadily as they were before 2011.”

Meanwhile, IAM RoadSmart’s Neil Greig, said: “Five years of flat lining on road deaths is unacceptable. Whilst 2015 was a relatively good year, the huge gains in road safety made in the past now seem a distant memory.”

crashed car

To combat stagnation, it has been suggested that the government creates a comprehensive road safety strategy. Plans include reducing the risk of accident for young drivers and motorcyclists, increasing the use of telematics, reducing England’s alcohol limit to 50mg and increasing the amount of traffic police officers on major motorways.

Motorcyclists vulnerable

Neil Greig stated: “The government must show more leadership to really drive down road deaths in the future. Key trends still show the increasing risk to vulnerable road users, particularly motorcyclists, and big increases in fatal crashes involving vans and lorries.”

The amount of deaths involving motorcycles increased by 8%, with 365 motorcyclists killed, compared to 339 in 2014.

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