UK road casualties lowest on record

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that the number of people killed in road accidents reported to the police fell by 16% from 2,222 in 2009 to 1,857 in 2010 – the lowest figure since national records began in 1926. A total of 22,660 people were seriously injured in reported road accidents (a reduction of 8%) while 184,138 people were slightly injured (a reduction of 6%). The 2010 figures are significant because they confirm that casualty reduction targets set in 2000 have been surpassed.
April 19, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSThe UK 1837 Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that the number of people killed in road accidents reported to the police fell by 16% from 2,222 in 2009 to 1,857 in 2010 – the lowest figure since national records began in 1926. A total of 22,660 people were seriously injured in reported road accidents (a reduction of 8%) while 184,138 people were slightly injured (a reduction of 6%). The 2010 figures are significant because they confirm that casualty reduction targets set in 2000 have been surpassed.

Despite the overall reduction in casualties, there was a very disappointing rise in the number of cyclists killed - to 111, an increase of seven (7%) on 2009. The number of cyclists seriously injured also increased, by 2% to 2,660. However, it is worth noting that the numbers of cyclists using UK roads continues to increase and particularly for commuting in some urban areas. There was also a disappointing 24% increase in goods vehicle occupants killed - up from 50 to 62.

The number of children who were killed fell by a third (from 81 to 55). There were also reductions in the number of children who were injured.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • UK Spending Review ‘increases capital investment in transport by 50%’
    November 26, 2015
    UK Chancellor George Osborne announced major investments in transport in the government’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement, despite a 37 per cent cut in the Department for Transport’s (DfT) operational budget. This was offset with a planned 50% per cent increase in capital expenditure for the DfT - rising to a total of US$92 billion. In addition to protecting overall police spending in line with inflation, an increase of US$1.3 billion by 2019-20, the review includes US$70 billion capital investment
    Read More
  • It’s official: 20 (or 30) really is plenty
    April 30, 2025
    A study has looked at what 20mph (30 km/h) speed limits mean in terms of road safety – and the answers are encouraging. Alan Dron speaks to transport researcher Aud Tennøy…
    Read More
  • Increase in Scotland’s road deaths ‘deeply troubling’, says Brake
    June 15, 2017
    Transport Scotland has released provisional headline figures for road casualties reported to the police in Scotland in 2016, showing 191 people were killed in reported accidents in 2016 - 23 more than in 2015.
    Read More
  • Cycling in London grows by ten per cent
    February 2, 2015
    London’s cycling revolution accelerated last year, with 2014 seeing new records for usage of the capital’s cycle hire scheme and overall cycling on the Transport for London (TfL) road network. Across the TfL road network, London’s main roads, cycling levels in quarter 3 of 2014/15 (14 September to 6 December) were ten per cent higher than in the same quarter the previous year and the highest since records began in 2000. It was the fifth record quarter in a row. By the end of 2014/15, TfL forecasts a 12 p
    Read More

Highlighted Content