Road deaths fall to all time low

The number of people killed in road crashes in 2010 fell by 16% year on year to 1,857 – the lowest figure since records began in 1926.

The figures are contained in Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: Main Results 2010, which was published today (30/6/11). The annual DfT report reveals that the number of people killed in road crashes fell from 2,222 in 2009 to 1,857 in 2010.

Other key findings from the report include:

• A total of 22,660 people were reported killed or seriously injured in 2010, 8% fewer than in 2009.
• There were 208,655 casualties (slight injuries, serious injuries and fatalities) in road accidents reported to the police in Great Britain in 2010, 6% fewer than in 2009.
• Total reported child casualties (ages 0-15 years) fell by 5% to 19,569 in 2010. The number of children killed or seriously injured in 2010 was 2,502, down 6% on 2009.
• Motor vehicle traffic levels fell by 2% compared to 2009. The overall casualty rate for accidents reported to the police per billion vehicle miles therefore fell to 677 per billion vehicle miles, compared to 709 casualties per billion vehicle miles in 2009.

Click here to download the report, ‘Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: Main Results 2010’.

We will carry a report on reaction to these figures from road safety organisations on Friday morning (1/7/11).