Britain's roads becoming safer

29 September 2005

• 8% drop in deaths and injuries
• Pedestrian casualties down by 4%
• Drink-driving related deaths estimated up by 2%

RoSPA believes cutting drink-drive limit would prevent hundreds of serious injuries every year

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Britain’s roads are becoming safer but drink-driving related deaths are on the increase, according to Department for Transport figures.

A total of 3221 people were killed on our roads in 2004, down 8% on 2003, while the number of people seriously injured fell to 31,130, another 8% drop year-on-year.

Pedestrian casualties fell by 4%, while the number of children killed or seriously injured on the roads last year fell by 5%.

However, it is estimated that the number of deaths involving drink-driving increased by 2% in 2004 to the highest level since 1992, prompting safety groups to call for a review of the drink-drive limits.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) believes the drink-drive limit should be cut from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – a move it claims could save 65 lives and 230 serious injuries a year.

Kevin Clinton, RoSPA head of road safety, said: 'We cannot understand why the Government continues to oppose a reduction in the drink-drive limit when the evidence shows it would save lives.'

Mary Williams, chief executive of road safety charity Brake, said: 'It’s no coincidence that drink-drive deaths have risen and breath tests have fallen on our roads in equal measures. We urgently need more traffic police and stricter laws on drink-driving to deter drivers who still think it’s acceptable to have one for the road.'

These latest road-casualty statistics mark steady progress towards the Government's target of reducing deaths and serious injuries on the roads by 40% in 2010, compared with the 1994-98 average.