ROAD CASUALTIES GREAT BRITAIN: MAIN RESULTS 2004
30 June 2005 - DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT

The Department of Transport has today published National Statistics on road casualties in Great Britain in 2004, which relate to casualties in accidents reported to the police.

Key results include:

* The number of people killed in road accidents fell, by 8 per cent from 3,508 in 2003 to 3,221 in 2004. 34,351 people were killed or seriously injured in 2004, 8 per cent fewer than in 2003. There were 280,840 road casualties in Great Britain in 2004, 3 per cent less than in 2003.

* Provisional figures indicate that road traffic levels were 2 per cent higher than in 2003 and consequently the provisional estimate was that the overall casualty rate per 100 million vehicle kilometres was 5 per cent lower than in 2003.

* Child casualties fell by 3 per cent. The number of children killed or seriously injured in 2004 was 3,905 (down 5 per cent on 2003). Of those, 2,339 were pedestrians, 2 per cent down on 2003. 166 children died, 3 per cent less than in 2003.

* Pedestrian casualties were 34,881 in 2004, 4 per cent lower than 2003. There were 671 pedestrian deaths, 13 per cent less than in 2003. Serious injuries fell by 5 per cent to 6,807.

* The number of pedal cyclists killed rose by 18 per cent to 134 in 2004, about the same level as 2002. The number of seriously injured fell by 5 per cent to 2,174 . Total casualties among pedal cyclists fell by 2 per cent in 2004 to 16,648.

* There were 25,641 two-wheeled motor vehicle user casualties in 2004, 10 per cent less than in 2003. The number of seriously injured decreased by 13 per cent to 6,063 and the number killed decreased by 16 per cent to 585.

* The number of deaths among car users in 2004 was 1,671, 6 per cent less than in the previous year. The number of seriously injured fell by 7 per cent to 14,473. Total casualties among car users were 183,858, 2 per cent lower than 2003. Provisional traffic estimates indicate a 1 per cent rise in car and taxi traffic.

* There were 207,410 road accidents involving personal injury in 2004, 3 per cent less than in 2003. Of these, 26,748 accidents involved death or serious injury.

In 2000, the Government announced a new road safety strategy and set new targets for reducing casualties by 2010. It wants to see:

* 40% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents compared with the average for 1994-98;
* 50% reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured;
* 10% reduction in the slight casualty rate, expressed as the number of people slightly injured per 100 million vehicle kilometres.

In 2004, the number of people killed or seriously injured was 28 per cent below the 1994-98 average; the number of children killed or seriously injured seriously injured was 43 per cent below the 1994-98 average; and provisional estimates show the slight casualty rate was 20 per cent below the 1994-98 average.

www.dft.gov.uk

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