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Casualties down - but drink drive and cycling buck the trend

The DfT last week published its annual report into road casualties in Great Britain during 2004. The figures showed that overall the number of deaths and serious injuries reduced, but there were increases in drink drive and cycling deaths.

Road Casualties Great Britain: 2004 - Annual Report contains detailed information on the number of people killed and injured on the roads in Great Britain, based on information reported to the police.

The key points in the report are as follows:

· 3,221 people were killed on Britain's roads in 2004 - 8% fewer than in 2003. The number of people seriously injured fell to 31,130, which is also 8% fewer than in 2003. Total casualties in 2004 were 280,840 - 3% fewer than in 2003.

· Five fewer children were killed than in 2003, a fall of 3%. The total number of children killed or seriously injured fell by 5%.

· Provisional estimates indicate that the number of deaths in accidents involving drink driving was 2% higher than in 2003. Final estimates will be available next year. Total casualties in drink drive accidents fell by an estimated 10%.

· Pedestrian casualties fell by 4% and the number of killed or seriously injured pedestrians was down 6%. 12% of all road accident casualties and 21% of those who died in road accidents were pedestrians.

· The number of casualties among users of two wheeled motor vehicles fell by 10% and the number of deaths fell by 16% to 585. Serious injuries fell by 13%. The overall casualty rate per hundred million vehicle kilometres fell by 2%.

· Pedal cyclist casualties fell 2%. The number of cyclists killed or seriously injured fell by 4% overall, but the number of fatalities increased by 18%. Pedal cyclist casualty rates per hundred million vehicle kilometres increased by 14%.

"We are pleased with the overall fall in road casualties but we remain extremely concerned about the increase in drink-drive deaths," said a DfT spokesman. He added that the UK has 'one of the best road safety records in the world'.

However, RoSPA said it was 'shocked to learn that the number of people killed in drink-drive accidents last year was the highest since 1992', and called for the Government to cut the drink-drive limit in an effort to save lives.

RoSPA believes the limit should be cut from 80mg to 50mg - a move that it says could save 65 lives and 230 serious injuries a year. The Society also wants to see the police given wider powers to breath test as it believes people would be less inclined to flout the law if they feared they could be tested anywhere and at anytime.

Kevin Clinton , RoSPA head of road safety, said: "We cannot understand why the Government continues to oppose a reduction in the drink-drive limit when the evidence shows it would save lives. We are shocked by yet another increase in the number of deaths even though there has been a fall in the number of casualties in drink-drive accidents. We fear the situation will continue to get worse unless something is done."

For further information go to http://www.dft.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2005_0096