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Brake calls for
reintroduction of casualty reduction targets
BRAKE, the road safety charity, is
calling on the government to show strong leadership and reintroduce
causality reduction targets as the Department for Transport publishes its
Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain Annual Report for 2014. It shows
that 1,775 people died on the roads (a 4% increase on the year before).
22,807 more were seriously injured (a 5% annual increase).
Casualties of all severities rose to 194,477 in Great Britain in 2014, an
increase of 6% from 2013, interrupting what was a steady downward trend
since 1997.
Brake believes the reintroduction of ambitious casualty reduction targets,
axed in 2010, must be a key first step in an urgently needed fightback
against road danger, alongside a 'vision zero' approach that acknowledges
that any number of road deaths is unacceptable.
People on foot and bike bore the brunt of the rise:-
► Pedestrian deaths rose by 12% to 446, accounting for
¾ of the
overall rise in fatalities.
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Serious injuries to cyclists rose by 8% to
3,401, continuing a long term trend that has been ongoing since 2004.
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Worryingly, traffic levels in 2014 were
2.4% higher than in 2013. Air pollution is estimated to cause 24,000 deaths
a year in the UK, ½ attributable to road transport.
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The number of cars is
set to increase by 43% by 2035 and traffic delays by 50%.
Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive, Brake, said:- "We should be
under no illusions as to the seriousness of these figures. The government
needs to get a grip of this situation, and it can start by reintroducing
ambitious casualty reduction targets, with an ultimate aim of reducing
deaths and serious injuries on our roads to zero. We know from running our
helpline for devastated road crash victims that every road death causes
unimaginable human suffering, and every one is preventable. The increases in
serious casualties among pedestrians and cyclists are especially horrifying,
given the importance of protecting vulnerable road users and enabling people
to walk and cycle more.
At a time when car manufacturers have serious questions to answer on vehicle
emissions, it is worrying to see a growth in vehicle traffic. The price for
this is being paid by individuals, families and the planet, and it's not a
price worth paying. That's why our theme for this year's Road Safety Week,
Drive less, live more, is focused on encouraging people to think again about
why, when and how we drive private vehicles."
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