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Number of children dying on the roads shoots up by 20pc in a year

Last updated at 12:44pm on 28th June 2007

The number of people killed in road accidents fell slightly last year but child deaths rose 20 per cent, official Government figures showed today.

There were 3,172 deaths on British roads in 2006 compared to 3,201 in 2005, according to figures published by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The number of children killed (up to 15 years old) rose from 141 in 2005 to 169 last year, while total pedestrian deaths increased from 671 in 2005 to 675 in 2006.

The DfT said child deaths were at about the same level as in 2004, when 166 youngsters were killed. It was, at the time, the lowest-ever recorded figure.

There was also a five per cent rise in the number of motorcycle users killed last year.

First produced in provisional form last month, the Great Britain road casualty statistics announced today showed:

• 31,845 people were killed or seriously injured (KSI) in 2006 - one per cent fewer than in 2005;

• There were 258,404 road casualties (killed, seriously injured and slightly injured) in 2006 - five per cent fewer than in 2005;

• Child casualties fell by nine per cent, with child KSIs down five per cent at 3,294, Of those, 2,025 were pedestrians - 56 per cent down on 2005;

• Provisional figures indicate that road traffic levels rose by one per cent compared to 2005 and the provisional estimate is that the overall casualty rate per 100 million vehicle kilometres was six per cent lower than in 2005;

• Pedestrian KSIs fell one per cent last year to 7,051, with the overall pedestrian casualty figure going down seven per cent to 30,982;

• The number of pedal cyclists killed fell one per cent to 146 last year, although the number seriously injured rose four per cent to 2,296. However, total casualties among pedal cyclists fell by two per cent;

• There were 599 motorcycle user fatalities in 2006 - five per cent more than in 2005. KSIs were about the same as in 2005, while overall motorcycle casualty figures were down six per cent;

• The number of deaths among car users in 2006 was 1,612 - four per cent down on the figure for the previous year.The number seriously injured fell two per cent to 12,642, while total casualties were four per cent lower at 171,000;

• There were 189,161 road accidents involving personal injury in 2006 - five per cent fewer than in 2005. Of the 2006 incidents, 27,872 involved death or serious injury compared with 27,942 in 2005.

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation and campaigner for the Make Roads Safe initiative, said: "Overall, child casualties have fallen by nine per cent but there is more we can and should do.

"Children are much more likely to die in a road accident than from drugs or violent crime. It's shocking that, in line with global trends, road accidents are the number one killer in the 10-24 age group in the UK."

He went on: "It's essential that we start educating our children about road safety at an early age.

"Today's schoolchildren are the young drivers of tomorrow. We need to educate them in ever more creative ways so that they can take safety messages to heart and drive responsibly in future.

"What we need is a comprehensive approach to this problem that covers improved road design and car safety, targets the most deprived areas of the country and looks again at educating drivers and pedestrians."

Paul Smith, founder of the anti-speed camera group Safe Speed, said: "The fall of just under one per cent in road deaths is further damning evidence of policy failure. Most of our European neighbours are achieving falls of four per cent or more and we're entitled to at least that.

"Our road safety policies aren't working. There's far too much focus on vehicle speeds and no focus at all on driver quality.

"Speed cameras are at the centre of the policy failure and must go. We have to cut out the cameras to cut out the dogma that is crippling road safety efforts in Britain."

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Paul Smith
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