Provisional government figures are showing that the number of fatalities on Britain’s roads fell to a new low of 1,857 in 2010, a year-on-year fall of 16% and the first time since records began that the figure has fallen below 2,000.
The total number killed or seriously injured fell 8% to 22,660 while there was a 6% fall in the number of total casualties, which also includes slight injuries and a 5% drop in child casualties (ages 0-15). However the Department of Transport statistics do reveal that the number of cyclists killed in accidents rose for a third consecutive year, up from 104 in 2009 to 111 last year, though it is well down on the average death rate of 186 which existed between 1994 and 1998.
Safer cars, the use of seatbelts, better roads and more careful driving are all considered to be factors which make the roads now eight times safer than they were in 1966 when the number of deaths hit a peacetime high of 7,985.
The figures were welcomed by the RAC Foundation which nevertheless warned that possible government spending cuts along with the loss of road safety expertise at local council level and a lack of long-term targets could undermine efforts to see the figures come down further. Director of the foundation, Professor Stephen Glaister, said: “Many European countries are aiming to reduce road deaths by around 50% over the next decade. We must not be overtaken by others in the drive to cut casualties but redouble our efforts to keep up the good work.”