Figures Reveal Rise in Road Traffic Accident Fatalities

New figures from the Department for Transport have revealed that 1,792 people were killed in reported road traffic accidents across Britain in 2016.

 

This is a rise of 62 deaths, or 4%, compared to the previous year and is apparently the highest number of recorded road deaths in the country since 2011.

 

Around half of the increase in road deaths apparently occurred in Scotland, with numbers rising from 162 in 2015 to 191 in 2016. In England, road fatalities increased from 1,463 in 2015 to 1,498 in 2016.

 

The figures also show that in 2016 there were:

 

 

Safety organisations have expressed disappointment with latest figures and called for more action to reduce the number of deaths and injuries occurring on the roads.

 

"Today's figures graphically illustrate the daily carnage taking place on roads across Britain,” commented Jason Wakeford, Director of Campaigns for road safety charity Brake. “On average, five people continue to lose their lives each and every day - a deeply worrying figure which has not improved for some six years.”

 

"Progress on road safety has stalled, pressing the need for a road collision investigation branch, similar to those already in existence for air, rail and sea, so that lessons can be learned to prevent future crashes,” he added. “Only through in-depth investigation, at a national level, can solutions be found to stem the needless deaths on the roads every day.”

 

“Every road user, and certainly all of those working to improve road safety, will view today’s figures with dismay,” said RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams. “Road fatalities in Great Britain are now higher than at any time in the last five years. While the statisticians say the rise isn’t significant, every life lost on our roads is surely one too many.”

 

“The report clearly states that ‘there is unlikely to be as large falls in casualties as there were earlier on without further significant interventions.’ This is surely an admission that more could, and should, be done to save lives,” he added. “Simply because there is more traffic on our roads does not mean that we should accept that road deaths will inevitably go up. Significant progress was made in reducing road deaths between 2006 and 2010, but since then figures have at first plateaued, and are now rising.”

 

“Away from Government a lot organisations are working hard to improve road safety – from the internationally-focused Project Edward, the FIA’s #ParkYourPhone campaign, through to countless campaigns by charities and local authorities and even the RAC’s own Be Phone Smart campaign,” he concluded. “These can all have a tangible impact on future road casualty numbers, but there is absolutely no question that the Government needs to redouble its efforts to ensure that progress is once again made to bring road deaths down. This includes giving its THINK! campaign the resources it needs to play a much greater role in doing this.”

 

If you have been injured in a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault then contact our specialist personal injury lawyers today to find out more about your right to compensation.

 

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