Sunday 15 November 2015

Road casualties in Merton: decade to 2014

Today, November the 15th is the World Day of Remembrance for road traffic victims. http://worlddayofremembrance.org/

Merton continues to show slow progress in addressing road danger, but the data provides worrying indicators for where that danger is likely to fall.  The group Travel Independent publishes annual analysis of road traffic casualties, 2014 recorded a rise for all groups of road users.


But when viewing the data over ten years, something else is very obvious. There is no significant change in the number of vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists) who have been killed or seriously injured over this period.



The only group which has seen a reduction in deaths and serious injuries were those inside the cars during a crash.


The considerable improvements that manufacturers have applied to cars have made them better at protecting their occupants from the results of a collisions.  Sadly the same cannot be said for those outside the car.

Making the roads fit for all requires safer design, the protection of the law and political will.

In remembrance of lives lost on the roads.

Reference: Travel Independent data for Merton