14% fall in number of people killed in road accidents in 2008
Encouraging news from the government has revealed another drop in the number of people killed in accidents on the road. 2,538 people lost their lives on UK roads in 2008, which is the lowest figure since records began back in 1926. The 14% reduction comes on the back of less impressive news from the European Road Assessment Programme about road safety on the country’s A-roads which featured in yesterday’s blog post.
With a 7% overall fall in the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads, the government has met its target to reduce the number of these types of accidents by 40% compared with the mid-90’s average. As Transport Secretary Lord Adonis pointed out when the figures were released, “Every death on the roads is a terrible tragedy, but these figures show that every day last year one less person died on the roads than in 2007…”
Cutting down on the number of fatal road accidents
The minister also pointed out that there was still a long way to go with regards to fatal road traffic accidents, saying; “While this news is encouraging, seven people are still dying on the roads every day and we will continue to do everything we can to prevent these tragedies.”
Another reaction to the figures came from motoring organisation the AA. Their head of road safety, Andrew Howard, said: “Even taking into account the almost 1% drop in traffic due to high fuel prices and recession, these figures are an excellent step in the right direction. If this trend continues the UK will soon restore its position as one of the safest countries in the world.”
As a law firm dealing with thousands of people injured in road traffic accidents every year, as well as the families of fatal road accident victims, Camps Solicitors sees the impact that a road traffic accident can have on the victim and their families. Whilst these figures are definitely a step in the right direction, there are still areas for improvement, such as the safety of children, with the number of children killed in road accidents in the past year rising by 3 to 124.
Injured in a road accident that was not your fault?
If you have been injured in a road accident that was not your fault, calling Camps Solicitors today could help you to find out if you have the grounds to claim. If we take on your case, not only will we be able to recover compensation for your injuries, we will also be able to provide a complete accident management service including the recovery, assessment and repair of your vehicle. What’s more we will provide you with a like for like hire vehicle for you to use whilst your own vehicle is off the road.
Call 0800 092 8586
Speak to one of our claims advisors about your claim.
The UK government, police ‘et al’ are currently being complacent about road deaths, as this media article shows re: Great Britain slipping down the European road safety table.
The UK once had roads that were the safer than any of our European neighbours. This is no longer the case – and that problem needs tackling now.
mark.