The Department of Transport has today published National Statistics on road casualties in Great Britain in 2007, which relate to casualties in accidents reported to the police.
Key results include:
* The number of people killed in road accidents fell, by 7 per cent from 3,172 in 2006 to 2,943 in 2007. 30,720 people were killed or seriously injured in 2007, 4 per cent fewer than in 2006. There were 247,780 road casualties in Great Britain in 2007, 4 per cent less than in 2006.
* Child casualties fell by 7 per cent. The number of children killed or seriously injured in 2007 was 3,090 (down 6 per cent on 2006). Of those, 1,899 were pedestrians, 6 per cent down on 2006. 121 children died on the roads, 28 per cent fewer than in 2006.
* Provisional figures indicate that road traffic levels rose by 1 per cent compared to 2006 and the provisional estimate is that the overall casualty rate per 100 million vehicle kilometres (49 per 100 million vehicle kms) was 5 per cent lower than in 2006 (51 casualties per 100 million vehicle kms).
* There were 644 pedestrian deaths, 5 per cent less than in 2006. Killed or serious injured casualties fell by 2 per cent to 6,924. The all pedestrian casualty figure fell to 30,191 in 2007, 3 per cent lower than 2006.
* The number of pedal cyclists killed fell by 7 per cent from 146 in 2006 to 136 in 2007. The number of seriously injured rose by 6 per cent to 2,428. The total casualties among pedal cyclists remained at the same level as 2006.
* There were 588 motorcycle user fatalities in 2007, 2 per cent lower than during 2006. The number of killed or seriously injured rose compared to 2006 (up 4 percent from 6,484 in 2006 to 6,737 in 2007). The all motorcycle user casualties figure for 2007 of 23,459 is 1 per cent higher than in 2006.
* The number of deaths among car users in 2007 was 1,431, 11 per cent less than in the previous year. The number seriously injured fell by 9 per cent to 11,536. Total casualties among car users were 161,433, 6 per cent lower than 2006. Provisional traffic estimates indicate a 1 per cent fall in car and taxi traffic over the period.
* There were 182,115 road accidents involving personal injury in 2007, 4 per cent fewer than in 2006. Of these, 27,036 accidents involved death or serious injury, 3 per cent fewer than in 2006 (27,872).
In 2007, the number of people killed or seriously injured was 36 per cent below the 1994-98 average; the number of children killed or seriously injured was 55 per cent below the 1994-98 average; and provisional estimates show the slight casualty rate was 30 per cent below the 1994-98 average.
