Road safety charity calls on government to show more leadership
Independent road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has responded to the Department for Transport’s reported road casualties in Great Britain 2015.
The 2015 figures show there were 1,732 reported road deaths which is two per cent fewer than 2014. According to the DfT this is the second lowest annual total after 2013. Also the number of people seriously injured in reported road traffic accidents also saw a decrease by 3 percent in 2015.
But the latest figure for motorbikes reveals 365 motorcyclists were killed during 2015 an 8 per cent from 2014.
IAM RoadSmart’s director of policy and research , Neil Greig, said: “Five years of flat lining on road deaths is unacceptable. Whilst 2015 was a relatively good year the huge gains in road safety made in the past now seem a distant memory.
“The government must show more leadership to really drive down road deaths in the future. Key trends still show the increasing risk to vulnerable road users, particularly motorcyclists, and big increases in fatal crashes involving vans and lorries. The rise in goods vehicle related deaths is worrying and is probably linked to the surge in van sales and use on Britain’s roads. IAM RoadSmart supports police campaigns to crack down on those driving for business, but we also need more firms to step up the plate and take occupational road safety more seriously.”
What do you think could be done to reduce road causalities across the country?
