Lawford Kidd's Blog

The number of people dying in road traffic accidents across Europe fell by 9% in 2012, according to new figures released by the European Commission (EC).

This drop means that the number of road traffic fatalities is now at its lowest level since the data was first collected.

A landmark year for road safety

Vice-President Siim Kallas, Commissioner for Transport, has described 2012 as a “landmark year” for road safety in Europe, highlighting that a 9% decrease means that 3,000 lives were saved.

Young drivers could benefit from improved training and lower insurance premiums as the government confirmed its intention to launch a green paper on improving the safety and reducing risks to young drivers.

Among the proposals being considered are:

• a minimum learning period before candidates are permitted to sit their test
• enabling learner drivers to take lessons on motorways, and perhaps during adverse weather conditions or during darkness to encourage greater practice prior to taking a test
• increasing the existing probationary period from two to three years for a new driver’s licence to be revoked if they receive six or more penalty points
• making the driving test more rigorous to better prepare learners to drive unsupervised
• incentives for young drivers to take up additional training after passing their test.

The government is also considering the possibility of imposing temporary restrictions on newly qualified drivers and further details will be included for discussion when the green paper is published.

Provisional figures released by the Department for Transport confirm that 1,690 motorcyclists were killed or seriously injured in July to September 2011.

This means 18 motorcyclists were killed or seriously injured every day between July to September 2011 - an increase of 2% compared to the same period in 2010 when 1,652 were killed or seriously injured.

While all casualties among car users have reduced by 7%, the figures for motorcyclists have remained stagnant. Around 5,630 motorcyclists were injured between July to September 2011, compared to 5,666 in the same period of the previous year (a 0.64% decrease).

The Institute of Advanced Motoring director of policy and research, Neil Greig, said: “The increase in motorcycling casualties is worrying especially while casualties among car drivers continue to fall. The government needs to ensure that education campaigns targeting motorcycling continue and funding is made available for local initiatives. The police and councils must continue to work together to improve high risk routes, encourage post test training and target bad riding behaviour through innovative enforcement techniques.”

Members of the public and young people in particular are being urged to take a zero tolerance approach to drink-driving this festive season to help prevent devastating Christmas tragedies.

A survey of young drivers, released by Brake and Direct Line, finds a shocking three in ten (29%) are willing to take the deadly gamble of driving after drinking alcohol. An even bigger proportion – 53%, up from 45% four years ago – risk driving drunk the day after a heavy night, suggesting widespread complacency about how long alcohol stays in your system.

In 2010, one in seven road deaths involved drink drivers. Around 250 road deaths and 1,230 road casualties occurred when someone was over the drink drive limit. Many more drink-drive crashes are caused by drivers who only have small amounts of alcohol in their blood. A further estimated 65 road deaths per year are caused by drivers who are under the drink-drive limit, but who have a significant amount of alcohol in their blood. Research shows that even very small amounts of alcohol significantly increase reaction times and therefore the risk of crashing.

As the festive party season approaches the road safety charity Brake has welcomed a police crackdown on drink and drug drivers. 

Ellen Booth, Brake senior campaigns officer, said:

“We fully support this vital crackdown on deadly and selfish drink and drug drivers. Every Christmas, and indeed every week of the year, many families are confronted by the death of a loved one, or a terrible injury, caused by drivers wilfully taking these appalling risks. We urge drivers to imagine the consequences for a second and realise it’s never worth chancing your life and other people’s.”