The UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, is calling for the Government to show real leadership to drive down death and injury on UK roads after yet another year of no real improvement according to figures released by the Department for Transport yesterday.
Provisional figures for 2019 in: Reported road casualties in Great Britain: provisional results 2019, revealed there were 1,748 reported road deaths, compared to 1,784 in 2018. Although this is, a welcome two per cent fall it marks an eight-year period of no significant reduction in deaths on UK roads. It means that on average almost five people are still dying on UK roads every day.
Fatalities for older road users – aged 60 and over – was the largest increase for any group increasing by eight per cent from 588 in 2018 to 637 in 2019.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart’s Director of Policy & Research, said: “These results are frankly embarrassing. We need UK Government to show real leadership and push road safety up the political agenda if we are to see a return of year-on-year improvements.
“Some quick wins could include: graduated driver licencing, more traffic police on the roads, a new approach to older drivers – such as an eye test on licence renewal at 75, mature driver assessments on prescription and more powers for the Health and Safety Executive to insist on good driver risk management across UK business.”
IAM RoadSmart expects 2020 to be a unique year, due to COVID-19, and comparisons with previous years will almost certainly not be possible. But with 2020 results not being published for another year the true impact of the pandemic on road deaths in the UK will not be clear for some time.
Neil added: “Up to date collision information is essential to avoid transport policy being developed in a data vacuum.
“We urge the Government to issue road safety figures for the last few months now so that informed decisions can be made. This is particularly important following the significant shift we’ve seen in recent months due to the pandemic and increasing use of new modes of transport.”
SHARP RISE IN PEDESTRIAN DEATHS IN SCOTLAND
Latest road safety statistics reveal a 35 per cent increase in pedestrian fatalities last year. Transport Scotland’s ‘Key Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2019’ report, published yesterday, gives provisional statistics of reported injuries and shows pedestrian deaths rose from 34 in 2018 to 46 in 2019.
It comes after the Prime Minister announced a consultation into the Highway Code to make it safer for people walking and cycling this week (27 July 2020).
A key feature of the proposals is the idea of a ‘hierarchy of responsibility’, with road users who cause the greatest harm having a greater responsibility to reduce the threat they pose to others; along with proposed changes at crossings and junctions and additional narrative on the dangers of speeding.
Stuart Hay, Director of Living Streets Scotland, part of the UK charity for everyday walking, said: “It is deeply concerning to see any rise in pedestrian deaths, especially at this level. We urge the Scottish Government to investigate the spike in casualties.
“The majority of these incidents occurred in urban areas, highlighting the need to bring speeds and traffic levels down. The changes proposed to the Highway Code this week, along with a mandatory 20mph limit, are vital if we’re to keep people safe on our streets.
“The Highway Code currently treats all road users – from children walking to lorry drivers – as if they are equally responsible for their own or other people’s safety. However, people walking cause the least road danger but are often left paying the price – as these figures show.
“Whether we choose to drive or cycle, we are all pedestrians at some point. These proposed revisions will benefit all of us and I urge people to respond to the Highway Code consultation so that this may be the last year we see increases like this.”
For more information and to take part in the Highway Code consultation, visit livingstreets.org.uk/no1
The full report from DfT can be found here.
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