Road Safety In Lockdown
A new study has found that the pandemic may have prevented road incidents in the UK.
There were fewer people killed in road-related incidents during the pandemic than in the average year.
The study has come from the road safety charity Brake as part of the national road safety week. Brake co-organizes road safety week and supports victims of road-related incidents.
Comment
Head of campaigns at Brake Jake Watford said:
“Reductions in the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads should inspire more action to make roads safer as traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels. We can all be road safety heroes by using roads safely and taking actions for road safety in our families, schools, communities, and where we work.”
By Area
The study found that there were 300 fewer deaths in 2020 than in 2019. The study also found that there were around 6000 less serious injuries.
Areas with the biggest drop in road injuries:
- Scotland
- Wales
- South West England
- London
South East England was the only area to see an increase in road-related injuries in 2020. The rate of injuries and death rose by 12%.
Brake put this drop in incidents down to the roads being quieter due to lockdowns.
This year’s National Road Safety week focuses more on the emergency services and the work of the National Road Victim Service (NRVS). The NRVS works with Brake to support the emotional and practical needs of road victim families.
Government Comment
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said:
“While the UK has some of the safest roads in the world, we’re always working to make them even safer. We will continue to work tirelessly to help see further reductions in casualties.”
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