British Road Casualties

Reported Road Casualties Great Britain

The 2011 annual report was published 27 September and can be found at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2011/

In addition to detailed tables there are seven articles, including a summary:

0. Summary (with guide to articles and tables)
1. Overview and trends in reported road casualties
2. Valuation of road accidents and casualties
3. Drinking and driving
4. Contributory factors in accidents
5. Self-reported drink and drug driving: Findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales
6. Hospital Admissions data on road casualties

The figures for 2011, first published on 28th June, show:

• The number of people killed in road accidents reported to the police increased 3 per cent from 1,850 in 2010 to 1,901 in 2011. The first increase since 2003. Compared with the 2005-9 average, the number killed in 2011 was 32 per cent lower.
• A total of 25,023 people were reported killed or seriously injured in 2011, 2 per cent more than in 2010. The first increase since 1994.

Adverse winter weather (sustained periods of snow and ice in many areas) was experienced in both the first and last quarters of 2010, but not in 2011. This is likely to be a factor in the increase in fatalities and serious road casualties between 2010 and 2011. However, despite a general pattern of increases in deaths and serious injuries from 2010 to 2011, the 2011 figures (with the exception of seriously injured pedal cyclists) remain below 2009 levels.

Provisional casualty figures for the year ending Q1, Q2 and Q3 2012 have been published at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/series/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics. The most recent figures show a fall in the number of fatalities (by 7 per cent to the year ending September 2012) but a small rise in KSI casualties (by 2 per cent to the year ending September 2012). The final 2012 figures will be published in June 2013.

Given the recent falls in fatalities, it is starting to look likely that the increase seen in 2011 was a one-off and the trend has returned to its recent downward direction. KSI causalities, however, have continued to increase on a 12-month basis (though have decreased on a latest-quarter basis). Once the Q4 2011 with Q4 2010 comparison drops out of the 12-month figures (i.e. when the whole of 2012 can be compared with the whole of 2011) there is a good chance the KSI casualties may start falling again.

Specific interesting points to notice from the 2012 provisional statistics is that the number of child (aged 0-15) KSI causalities has fallen on both a 12-month and latest-quarter basis. This does appear to be a clear downward trend. Vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists) show contradictory outcomes to other users, though. On a 12-month basis, the number of vulnerable road user KSI casualties has risen in comparison with the previous 12 months (by 6 per cent for pedestrians, 8 per cent for cyclists and 4 per cent for motorcyclists for the year ending September 2012).