Analysis shows most and least improved areas of Britain for road users killed or seriously injured, says IAM

News provided by

Institute of Advanced Motorists

Jul 29, 2014, 09:00 ET

(PRWEB UK) 29 July 2014 -- Britain’s leading road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), has revealed the local authority areas that have performed the best and worst for reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on their roads last year.

The top three areas for reductions are Nottinghamshire, Tower Hamlets and Chester/Chester West; with some 98, 81 and 78 fewer people respectively killed or seriously injured on the roads in these local authority areas in 2013 compared to 2012.

Conversely, the three worst performing areas are Lancashire, Kent and Cumbria. In Lancashire, 72 more people were killed or seriously injured in 2013 compared to the previous year; in Kent, it was 70 more and Cumbria 43 more.

The top ten best performing areas in the UK, according to statistics on reported casualties from the Department of Transport, are Nottinghamshire, Tower Hamlets, Chester/Chester West, Suffolk, Hackney, Staffordshire, Islington, Greenwich, Gloucestershire and Redbridge.

The bottom ten local authority areas consist of Lancashire, Kent, Cumbria, Norfolk, East Sussex, Rotherham, Wirral, Surrey, Worcester and Hampshire.

Simon Best, chief executive of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: “Figures will always vary from year to year but the wide variations do suggest that some councils are much better at putting measures in place that are having a marked difference in reducing the numbers of deaths and serious injuries on their roads.

“As the economy improves spending on road safety must be seen as a priority across the whole of the UK with clear strategies in place to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads. Even one death or injured person on our roads is one too many,” he added.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists supports the raising of driving and riding standards and campaigns for increased on-road skills. The IAM also aim to inform and influence national and local government and decision makers to ensure that road safety remains a relevant topic and receives the focus and investment that it requires.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  • A table of the top and bottom ten authorities, with numbers of killed or seriously injured in 2013 compared to the previous year, is enclosed as an attachment with this mailing.
  • The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving, motorcycle riding and cycling. The commercial division of the IAM operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive. The IAM has more than 100,000 members in the UK and Ireland. It is best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving, motorcycling and cycling courses. Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.

Media contacts:

IAM Press Office – 020 8996 9777

press.office(at)iam(dot)org(dot)uk

ISDN broadcast lines available

iam.org.uk

Rodney Kumar, Institute of Advanced Motorists, +44 2089969619, [email protected]