Road Safety GB welcomes DfT casualty stats but is 'gravely concerned' about cyclists and mobile use
Road Safety GB, the road safety organisation that represents Local Authority Road Safety Professionals around the UK, has cautiously welcomed the Department for Transport's latest road safety figures issued today.
The DfT's estimated quarterly figures, from July to September 2009, show that for the year ending September 2009, road casualties were down 5% compared to the previous 12 months, with fatalities down 7%. Casualty and fatality rates for pedestrians, motorcyclists, car users and child passengers had also all decreased. However, the number of pedal cyclists killed or seriously injured on the UK's roads had increased by 5%.
Despite the recent introduction of stricter penalties, figures from a separate DfT survey into seatbelt and mobile phone use in England, carried out in November last year, showed that the number of car drivers using hand held mobile phones had increased from 1.1% to 1.4% and the number of van and lorry drivers from 2.2% to 2.6% compared to a similar survey in 2008.
Alan Kennedy, Chairman of Road Safety GB, said: “Over the last decade we have seen a significant reduction in the number of casualties on our roads* and we are encouraged to see this trend continuing. However, two areas of grave concern are the safety of pedal cyclists on our roads, and the continuing problem of drivers using mobile phones.
“It is staggering to see an increase in the number of drivers choosing to ignore the fatal danger they present by using a mobile phone at the wheel – both to themselves and other road users. The change in the law, which means drivers now face a fine and up to three penalty points, has clearly not been effective, so we must consider stronger action. A driver is four times more likely to cause a crash when using a mobile phone whilst behind the wheel** – it is a completely irresponsible action that must be stamped out.”
For more information, please contact Peter Wrathmell at SKV Communications on or 0161 838 7770.
*2001 – 236,040 road casualties of all severities. 2008 - 170,591 (DfT)
