Source: https://docplayer.net/9336690-Reported-road-casualties-great-britain-2012-annual-report.html
Timestamp: 2018-10-16 09:47:46
Document Index: 460224469

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 3']

Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: Annual Report - PDF
Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: Annual Report
Download "Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: 2012. Annual Report"
1 Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report
3 DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT REPORTED ROAD CASUALTIES GREAT BRITAIN 2012 Published : September 2013
4 Department for Transport Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road London SW1P 4DR Telephone Internet service Crown copyright 2013 Copyright in the typographical arrangement rests with the Crown. This publication may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium for non-commercial research, private study or internal circulation within an organisation. This is subject to it being reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the title of the document/publication specified. This publication can also be accessed at the Department's web site. For any other use of this material please apply for a Click-Use Licence at Printed in Great Britain in September 2013 on material containing at least 75% recycled fibre. A National Statistics publication produced by Transport Statistics: DfT National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference. Contact Points: For general enquiries call the National Statistics Customer Contact Centre at: Room 1015, ONS, Government Buildings, Cardiff Road, Newport, Gwent NP10 8XG, Tel: , fax or You can also obtain National Statistics through the internet go to For information relating to Transport Statistics go to: h ttps:// Prepared for publication by; Daryl Lloyd David Wilson Fay Tuddenham Glenn Goodman Anil Bhagat Further information and queries concerning this publication should be directed to: RSS, 2/13, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 4DR, Tel: +44 (0) , Acknowledgement The Department extends its grateful thanks to police forces and their officers for their contribution towards reducing road casualties, including the collection of STATS 19 data upon which this publication is based, and without which this government and road safety organisations would be much less well informed.
5 Department for Transport Statistics Reported Road Casualties Great Britain (RRCGB) - Index of Tables Ref. Table name Page Introduction and key findings 9 Article1 General overview and trends in reported road casualties 17 Article2 Valuation of road accidents and casualties 37 Article3 Drinking and driving 43 Article4 Survey data on road casualties 59 RAS10: Road accidents involving personal injury which have been reported to the police RAS10001 Reported accidents by speed limit, road class and severity, Great Britain, RAS10002 Reported accidents and accident rates by road class and severity, Great Britain, average, RAS10003 Reported accidents by road class, speed limit and severity, Great Britain, average, RAS10004 Reported accidents by severity, number of casualties involved, built-up and non built-up roads and road class, Great Britain, RAS10005 Reported accidents by daylight and darkness, road surface condition, built-up and non built-up roads and severity, Great Britain, RAS10006 Reported accidents by daylight and darkness, weather condition, built-up and non built-up roads and severity, Great Britain, RAS10007 Reported accidents by daylight and darkness, road surface condition, built-up and non built-up roads, speed limit and street lighting, Great Britain, RAS10008 Reported accidents by daylight and darkness, lighting conditions, special conditions and carriageway hazards, Great Britain, RAS10009 Reported accidents by junction type, built-up and non built-up roads and severity, Great Britain, RAS10010 Reported single vehicle accidents by object hit off carriageway, built-up and non built-up roads and severity, Great Britain, RAS10011 Reported accidents by number of vehicles involved, built-up and non built-up roads, road class and severity, Great Britain, RAS10012 Reported accidents involving pedestrians and one vehicle by severity and vehicle type, Great Britain, RAS10013 Reported personal injury road accidents, by severity, Great Britain, RAS10014 Reported accidents by region, local authority, road class and vehicles licensed, England, RAS10015 Reported accidents by region, local authority, road surface condition and severity, England, RAS20: Vehicles involved in reported road accidents RAS20001 Vehicles involved in reported accidents and involvement rates by vehicle type and severity of accident, Great Britain, RAS20002 Drivers in reported accidents by gender, number injured, road user type and age, Great Britain, RAS20003 Vehicles involved in reported accidents by accident severity and vehicle type, Great Britain, RAS20004 Vehicles involved in reported accidents by vehicle type, built-up and non built-up roads, road class and accident severity, Great Britain, RAS20005 Vehicles involvement rates for reported accidents, by vehicle type, urban and rural roads, road class, accident severity and traffic, Great Britain, RAS20006 Vehicles involved in reported accidents by junction type, vehicle type, built-up and non built-up roads, Great Britain, RAS20007 Vehicles involved in reported accidents skidding or overturning, and towing by road surface condition, special conditions at site and vehicle type, Great Britain, RAS20008 Vehicles involved in reported accidents by vehicle type and manoeuvre, Great Britain, RAS20009 Vehicles involved in reported personal injury road accidents, by vehicle type, Great Britain, RAS20010 Vehicles in reported personal injury accidents by journey purpose of driver/rider and by vehicle type, Great Britain, RAS30: Casualties involved in reported road accidents RAS30001 Reported road casualties by road user type and severity, Great Britain, comparison of 2012 with average and RAS30002 Reported casualties by road user type, age and severity, Great Britain, RAS30003 Reported casualties by severity, Great Britain, RAS30004 All reported casualties by road user type, Great Britain, RAS30005 Reported killed or seriously injured casualties, by road user type, Great Britain, RAS30006 Reported casualties by speed limit, road class and severity, Great Britain, RAS30007 Reported casualties by severity, by police force area, Great Britain, RAS30008 Reported casualties by severity, by local authority area, Great Britain, RAS30009 Reported casualties by gender, built-up and non built-up roads, road class and severity, Great Britain, average, RAS30010 Reported casualties by gender, road user type and severity, Great Britain, average, RAS30011 Reported killed or seriously injured casualties by gender, road user type and age, Great Britain, average,
6 Department for Transport Statistics Reported Road Casualties Great Britain (RRCGB) - Index of Tables Ref. Table name Page RAS30012 Reported casualties by time of accident and severity, Great Britain, RAS30013 Reported casualty rates by road user type and severity, Great Britain, RAS30014 Reported casualties by daylight and darkness, road surface condition, built-up and non built-up roads and severity, Great Britain, RAS30015 Reported casualties by daylight and darkness, weather condition, built-up and non built-up roads and severity, Great Britain, RAS30016 Reported casualties by built-up and non built-up roads and motorways, severity and road user type, Great Britain, RAS30017 Casualties in reported accidents involving vehicles of different types by built-up and non built-up roads, road class and severity, Great Britain, RAS30018 Reported casualty and accident rates by urban and rural roads, road class, road user type, severity and pedestrian involvement, Great Britain, RAS30019 Reported casualties by accident and casualty severity and road user type, Great Britain, RAS30020 Reported casualties and casualty rates by month, road user type and severity, Great Britain, RAS30021 Reported casualties by day, road user type and hour of day, Great Britain, RAS30022 Reported killed or seriously injured casualties by day, road user type and hour of day, Great Britain, RAS30023 Reported casualties all days, by severity, road user type and hour of day, Great Britain, RAS30024 Reported casualties by age band, road user type and severity, RAS30025 Reported casualty rates by age band, road user type and severity, Great Britain, RAS30026 Reported pedestrian casualties location by age band and by severity, Great Britain, RAS30027 Reported pedestrian casualties by location, age, road crossing type and severity, Great Britain, RAS30028 Reported casualties by age, road user type and severity, Great Britain, RAS30029 Reported casualties in cars, by severity, age, seating position, built-up and non built-up roads, Great Britain, RAS30030 Reported child casualties in accidents occurring between 7:30 and 8:59am or between 3:00 and 4:59pm on a school day, by road user type, severity, gender and age, Great Britain, RAS30032 Reported casualties by region, country and severity, United Kingdom, average, RAS30033 Reported casualties by built-up and non built-up roads, road class, region and severity, Great Britain, RAS30034 Reported casualties by severity, road user type and country, United Kingdom, RAS30035 Deaths by age and gender, from all causes, all accidental deaths and all road deaths, Great Britain, RAS30036 Casualties resulting from reported personal injury road accidents, by age and severity, Great Britain, RAS30037 Reported casualties in accidents, by journey purpose and casualty type, Great Britain, RAS30059 Reported road accident casualties by severity, Great Britain, RAS30060 Reported fatalities by road user type, Great Britain, RAS30061 Reported killed or seriously injured casualties by road user type, Great Britain, RAS30062 Reported children killed or seriously injured by road user type, Great Britain, RAS30063 Reported slightly injured casualties by road user type, Great Britain, RAS30064 Reported pedestrian casualties by age, Great Britain, RAS30065 Reported pedal cyclist casualties, Great Britain, RAS30066 Reported motorcycle user casualties, Great Britain, RAS30067 Reported car user casualties, Great Britain, RAS30068 Reported other road user casualties, Great Britain, RAS40: Reported accidents, vehicles and casualties RAS40001 Reported accidents and casualties, population, vehicle population, index of vehicle mileage, by road user type and severity, Great Britain, RAS40002 Reported accidents, vehicles and casualties by severity, road class, built-up and non built-up roads, Great Britain, RAS40003 Reported accidents and casualties by severity, road type and speed limit, Great Britain, RAS40004 Reported accidents, vehicle user and pedestrian casualties by area type and combination of vehicles involved, Great Britain, RAS40005 Reported accidents, vehicles and casualties by vehicle type and left hand drive, Great Britain, RAS40006 Long term trends and summary statistics, Great Britain, average, 2011 and RAS41: Strategic Framework for Road Safety outcome indicators RAS41001 Strategic Framework for Road Safety outcome indicators, Great Britain, average, RAS41002 Reported Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) casualties by local authority, England, and average 177 RAS41003 Reported Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) casualty rate per billion vehicle miles/kilometres by local authority, England, and average 180 RAS41004 Reported Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) casualty rate per million population by local authority, England, and average 186 RAS50: Contributory factors 6
7 Department for Transport Statistics Reported Road Casualties Great Britain (RRCGB) - Index of Tables Ref. Table name Page RAS50001 Contributory factors: Reported accidents by severity, Great Britain, RAS50002 Contributory factors of reported accidents, Great Britain, RAS50003 Contributory factors: Reported accidents by road class, Great Britain, RAS50004 Reported accidents involving pedestrians with contributory factors, Great Britain, RAS50005 Contributory factors: Vehicles in reported accidents by vehicle type, Great Britain, RAS50007 Contributory factors: Casualties in reported accidents by severity, Great Britain, RAS50012 Reported road accidents by contributory factor, region and country, Great Britain, RAS51: Drink drive RAS51001 Estimated number of reported drink drive accidents and casualties in Great Britain, RAS51002 Breath tests and breath test failures by drivers and riders involved in reported accidents, RAS51003 Reported breath tests and breath test failures, all drivers and riders involved by day of week and time of day, Great Britain, RAS51004 Reported breath tests and breath test failures by road user type and age, Great Britain, RAS51005 Estimated number of reported drink drive casualties, by casualty type, Great Britain, RAS51006 Drivers and riders killed: percentage over the legal blood alcohol limit, Great Britain, RAS51007 Proportion of killed drivers/riders resulting from reported accidents in each BAC, by age, Great Britain, RAS51008 Killed and seriously injured casualties in reported accidents involving young drivers (17-24 years old) over the legal alcohol limit, Great Britain, RAS51009 Blood alcohol levels of reported fatalities aged 16 and over, Great Britain, RAS51010 Estimated number of reported road accidents involving a car drink driver, by driver age, accidents per licence holder and per mile driven, Great Britain, 2001 and RAS51011 Estimated number of reported drink drive accidents and casualties, by month, Great Britain, RAS51012 Reported drink drive accidents, by time of day, Great Britain, 2001 and RAS51013 Reported drink drive accidents by pedestrian involvement, Great Britain, RAS51014 Drivers and riders in injury road accidents: breath tests and failures, Great Britain, RAS51015 Car drivers in injury road accidents, breath tests and failures, Great Britain, RAS51016 Reported roadside screening breath tests and breath test failures: England and Wales, RAS51017 Screening test results, by reason for test, RAS51018 Results of screening breath tests following a road traffic collision, RAS51019 Estimated number of reported drink drive accidents and casualties, by region, Great Britain, RAS51020 Car drivers in reported injury road accidents, breath tests and failures by region, England, RAS52: International comparisons RAS52001 International comparisons of road deaths, number and rates for different road users by selected countries, United Kingdom, 2011 and 2012 (provisional) 223 RAS53: Passenger casualty rates for different modes of travel RAS53001 Passenger casualty rates by mode, RAS54: Survey data RAS54001 Injuries in road accidents, NTS compared to STATS RAS54002 Road user type of adults 1 injured in road accidents: NTS and STATS RAS54003 Injuries sustained in road accident in the last three years: NTS (2010/12) 228 RAS54004 Estimates of the annual non-fatal road casualties in Great Britain using National Travel Survey data compared with casualties recorded in STATS19 (2008/12) 229 RAS60: Accident and casualty costs RAS60001 Average value of prevention per reported Casualty and per reported road accident, Great Britain, RAS60002 Average value of prevention of reported road accidents by road type, Great Britain, RAS60003 Total value of prevention of reported accidents by severity and cost element, Great Britain, RAS60004 Total value of prevention of reported accidents by severity and road type, Great Britain, Notes, definitions, symbols and conventions 234 Notes to Tables 239 Calendar of Events 244 Index of all Tables produced 251 National Form MG NSRF/A 254 Contact details for Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Statistics Offices 258 Transport Statistics User Group 258 CLIP statistics contact details 259 7
9 Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report The Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain (RRCGB) Annual Report: 2012 presents detailed statistics (headline figures were first published in June 2013) about the circumstances of personal injury accidents, including the types of vehicles involved, the resulting casualties and factors which may contribute to accidents. In addition to detailed tables there are four articles containing further analysis on specific road safety topics. Most of the statistics in the report are based on information about accidents reported to the police. However, other sources such as mortality, survey and hospital data are also used as well as population and traffic data to provide a wider context. The key findings from the RRCGB 2012 report include: In 2012, there were a total of 195,723 casualties of all severities in road accidents reported to the police, 4 per cent lower than in There were 1,754 people killed, an 8 per cent decrease from 2011 and 23,039 were seriously injured, down 0.4 per cent. Vehicle traffic levels remained broadly stable for the second year running, though there was a small fall of 0.4 per cent between 2011 and The number of fatalities fell for all road user types except pedal cyclists (up from 107 in 2011 to 118 in 2012) and bus and coach occupants. Pedestrian fatalities fell by 7 per cent, motorcycle fatalities fell by 9 per cent, car occupant fatalities fell by 9 per cent, and goods vehicle occupant fatalities remained the same as in Our best current estimate derived from NTS data is that the total of number of road casualties in Great Britain annually, including those not reported to the police, is within the range 630 thousand to 790 thousand with a central estimate of 710 thousand. This is based on data for the five year period from 2008 to 2012 The total value of prevention of reported road accidents in 2012 was estimated to be 15.1 billion - this includes an estimate of the cost of damage only accidents but does not allow for unreported injury accidents. This represents a decrease of 0.5 billion compared with the same estimate made in Provisional estimates for 2012 suggest that 280 people were killed in drink drive accidents, an increase of around 17 per cent compared with 2011 and accounting for 16 per cent of all road deaths in Great Britain. Statistical Release Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report- Page 1 of 8 9
10 Introduction The Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report presents detailed statistics about the circumstances of personal injury accidents, including the types of vehicles involved, the resulting casualties, and factors which may contribute to accidents happening. Most of the statistics in the publication are based on information about accidents reported to the police (using STATS 19 forms). However, other sources such as mortality, survey and hospital data are also used as well as population and traffic data to provide a wider context. In addition to detailed tables there are four articles containing further analysis on specific road safety topics. an overview and trends in reported road casualties a valuation of road accidents and casualties drinking and driving an estimate of the total number of casualties in accidents, including those not reported to the police This publication summarises key points from each article. 1. Overview and trends in reported road casualties Summary This article reviews the main trends in the number of reported road accident casualties in Great Britain in 2012 compared with recent years. Figures are primarily derived from information about accidents reported to the police. In 2012: There were a total of 195,723 casualties of all severities in road accidents reported to the police. This was 4 per cent lower than in Of these, 1,754 people were killed in 2012, down 8 per cent from 2011 and a new record low. There were 23,039 seriously injured casualties (down by less then 1 per cent from 2011, but up from 2010) and 170,930 slightly injured casualties. The number of fatalities in 2012 fell for all road user groups except pedal cyclists (up from 107 in 2011 to 118 in 2012) and bus and coach occupants. Pedestrian fatalities fell by 7 per cent, motorcycle fatalities fell by 9 per cent, car occupant fatalities fell by 9 per cent, and goods vehicle occupant fatalities remained the same as in Changes in comparison with the average The average over the five-year period from 2005 to 2009 is used as a basis for comparison when considering road safety trends over a longer period and used as a baseline for the Outcomes Framework for the Strategic Framework for Road Safety 1. Compared with the average: The total number of fatalities in 2012 was 38 per cent lower than the average. The number of people killed or seriously injured was down by 17 per cent and the total 1 Statistical Release Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report- Page 2 of 8 10
11 number of casualties across all severities was down by 20 per cent. A total of 61 children (aged under 15 years old) were killed in reported road traffic accidents in 2012, up slightly from 60 in 2010, but down 52 per cent from the average. Figures for the Strategic Framework for Road Safety outcome indicators can be found in table RAS In addition a table summarising key figures showing long term trends in road accident casualties compared with traffic is in table RAS The article Overview and trends in reported road casualties can be found at: Related statistics (tables and charts) can be found at: Tables RAS30059-RAS30068, RAS SFRS outcome indicators - Table RAS Valuation of road accidents and casualties Summary This article provides the latest Department for Transport estimates of the values for prevention 2 of road accidents and casualties for use in the appraisal of transport schemes and gives an estimate of the total value of road accidents in Great Britain in Since 1993, the valuation of both fatal and non-fatal casualties has been based on a consistent willingness to pay (WTP) approach. This approach encompasses all aspects of the valuation of casualties, including the human costs, which reflect pain, grief, suffering; the direct economic costs of lost output and the medical costs associated with road accident injuries. The total value of prevention of reported road accidents in 2012 was estimated to be 15.1 billion - this includes an estimate of the cost of damage only accidents but does not allow for unreported injury accidents. This represents a decrease of 0.5 billion compared with the same estimate made in This is proportional to the 4 per cent decrease in the number of accidents reported in 2011 compared with A number of assumptions have been made to produce a broad illustrative figure which suggests that allowing for accidents not reported to the police could increase the total value of prevention of road accidents to around 34.3 billion. It is important to highlight that the values in this report have been based on the road accident data 2012, and computed at 2012 prices and values. The article Valuation of road accidents can be found at: Related statistics (tables and charts) can be found at: in tables RAS60001-RAS Prevention can be interpreted in two ways here: on the one hand it is the amount of money the Government should spend to likely prevent all road accidents. On the other hand it can be considered as the loss to society due to the current level of road accidents. Statistical Release Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report- Page 3 of 8 11
12 3. Drinking and Driving Summary This article presents statistics, and an analysis of, reported drinking and driving accidents in Great Britain and the casualties involved. Provisional estimates for 2012 suggest that 280 people were killed in drink drive accidents, an increase of around 17 per cent compared with 2011 and accounting for 16 per cent of all road deaths in Great Britain. There was a 5 per cent decrease in seriously injured drink drive casualties in 2012, to around 1,200 (5 per cent of all seriously injured road casualties). Final estimates for 2011 show that there were 220 fatal drink drive accidents in 2011, resulting in 240 deaths, unchanged from 2010 and jointly the lowest number of drink drive deaths since detailed reporting began in Amongst those killed in drink drive accidents in 2011, the majority (71 per cent) were drivers and riders over the legal alcohol limit. The remaining 29 per cent were other road users, involved in the accident but not necessarily over the legal limit themselves. Since 1979, when detailed reporting began, there has been an almost six-fold reduction in the number killed in drink drive accidents and a similar drop in seriously injured casualties. During 2012, 55,300 people in England and Wales were convicted of driving after consuming alcohol or taking drugs, broadly in line with the number for The article Drinking and driving can be found at: Related statistics (tables and charts) can be found at: in tables RAS51001-RAS Survey data on road accidents Summary This article provides an estimate of the total number of casualties from all road traffic accidents in Great Britain. This estimate includes accidents that were not reported to the police as well as the accidents which were recorded by the police. It has long been known that police data does not provide a complete record of all injury accidents and resulting casualties, as the estimates illustrate. To help address this, the Statistical Release Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report- Page 4 of 8 12
13 National Travel Survey (NTS) has included questions asking people about their involvement in road accidents since Our best current estimate derived from the NTS data is that the total of number of road casualties in Great Britain annually, including those not reported to the police, is within the range 630 thousand to 790 thousand with a central estimate of 710 thousand. This is based on data for the five year period from 2008 to Results of the NTS follow-up study suggest around 10 per cent of accidents reported by the respondents are outside the scope of STATS19. Adjustments were made to exclude these casualties from the above figures. The under reporting of road traffic accidents to the police should be borne in mind when using and analysing STATS19 data. However, STATS19 remains the most detailed, complete and reliable single source of information on road casualties covering the whole of Great Britain. The article Survey data on road accidents can be found at: Related statistics (tables and charts) can be found at: in tables RAS RAS Changes in article coverage from 2011 There have been some changes in the articles included in the annual report this year from the 2011 annual report. a) The article on survey data on road accidents has been reintroduced after being omitted in It was not included in the 2011 annual report as the National Travel Survey data was not ready in time. Now the 2011 and 2012 NTS data are available, the estimate of all casualties from both reported and unreported road traffic accidents has been updated. b) The article using hospital episode statistics (HES) has been delayed. This is partially due to personnel changes and HES access and system changes. Secondly, the European Commission (EC) has commissioned some work into the standardisation of maximum abbreviated injury scale (MAIS) data, using hospital records. In order to ensure that we are adhering to an international agreed methodology, MAIS statistics are not being developed until the EC research is completed. Once HES access has been regained and the EC research is completed, both of which are expected in autumn / winter 2013, we will update the hospital admissions table and produce a new article. We intend to include estimates of the total number of casualties from road traffic accidents with a score of MAIS3+. Statistical Release Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report- Page 5 of 8 13
14 c) The data used for the self-reported drink and drug driving article were not available in time for this year s annual report. As with the hospital admissions article, this article will be released later in the year once it has been completed. d) As the proportions of accidents with each contributory factor do not change much from year to year, we have decided to remove this article this year. Our current expectation is to produce the article every two or three years allowing us to highlight what has changed. We seek any views users have on this proposal. Despite not including the article, we have continued to maintain and update the contributory factor tables (tables RAS50001 to RAS50015). Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain 2012: detailed tables The annual report also includes detailed tables based on data reported to the police, areas covered are listed below, with relevant table numbers in brackets: accidents (RAS10001-RAS10015) drivers and vehicles involved (RAS20001-RAS20010) casualties (RAS30001-RAS30078) combined accidents, casualties, vehicles (RAS40001-RAS40007) area comparisons (RAS30038-RAS30058, RAS10014-RAS10015, RAS RAS41004) international comparisons (RAS52001) inter modal comparisons (RAS53001) Strategic Framework for Road Safety outcome indicators (RAS41001-RAS41004) reported drink driving (RAS51001-RAS51104) contributory factors (RAS50001-RAS50015) survey data on road accidents (RAS54001-RAS54004) hospital admissions as a result of road accidents (RAS55001-RAS55016) (to be updated at a later date) accident and casualty costs (RAS60001-RAS6004) A full list of tables in the road safety series and an index linking 2009 RRCGB report table numbers with 2012 RRCGB web tables can be found here Detailed tables can be found on Reported road casualties Great Britain 2012 annual report web page at: Statistical Release Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report- Page 6 of 8 14
15 Strengths and weaknesses of the data Comparisons of road accident reports with death registrations show that very few, if any, road accident fatalities are not reported to the police. However, it has long been known that a considerable proportion of non-fatal casualties are not known to the police, as hospital, survey and compensation claims data all indicate a higher number of casualties than police accident data would suggest. We have updated our estimate of the total number of road casualties in Great Britain, including those not reported to the police, in this year s Survey data on road accidents article and tables RAS54001-RAS The police data are therefore not a complete record of all injury accidents and this should be borne in mind when using and analysing the data included in this publication. Police data on road accidents remain the most detailed, complete and reliable single source of information on road casualties covering the whole of Great Britain. We also continue to look at other sources of data on road accidents. Although the RRCGB 2012 annual report does not contain any new analyses of hospital data, an article can be found in the 2011 annual report and in tables RAS55001-RAS This article and the tables will be updated later in 2013 or early Further information on complementary sources of data on road accidents and casualties, can be found in Reported Road Casualties Great Britain 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 annual reports, which are available through: Background notes 1. Further information about the Reported Road Casualties Great Britain Annual Report can be found On 17 December 2011, the United Kingdom Statistics Authority designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, signifying their compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Designation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics: meet identified user needs; are well explained and readily accessible; are produced according to sound methods, and are managed impartially and objectively in the public interest. Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is a statutory requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue to be observed. The statistics were reassessed in 2013 and the report (number 258) was published on 25 th July This assessment designated the statistics as National Statistics again, subject to a number of requirements. The Department will respond to the assessment in October Statistical Release Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report- Page 7 of 8 15
16 3. Details of Ministers and officials who receive pre-release access to these statistics up to 24 hours before release can be found here: 4. A full list of the definitions used in this publication can be found here: 5. Further information on Reported Road Casualties Great Britain, including information about the variables collected on the STATS19 form, historical publications and factsheets, can be found at: 6. Reported accident and casualty data are also released at record level (subject to meeting confidentiality requirements) as part of the government s transparency agenda. These records can be accessed through on the data.gov website 7. The next release of road accidents and casualty data will be estimates for the second quarter of 2013 on 7 November Key definitions (a full list of definitions can be found at the link above) Accident: Involves personal injury occurring on the public highway (including footways) in which at least one road vehicle or a vehicle in collision with a pedestrian is involved and which becomes known to the police within 30 days of its occurrence. Damage-only accidents, with no human casualties or accidents on private roads or car parks are not included The data are collected by police at the scene of an accident or in some cases reported by a member of the public at a police station. Casualty: A person killed or injured in an accident. Casualties are sub-divided into killed, seriously injured and slightly injured Fatal accident: An accident in which at least one person is killed; other casualties (if any) may have serious or slightly injuries. Killed: Human casualties who sustained injuries which caused death less than 30 days (before 1954, about two months) after the accident. Confirmed suicides are excluded. Serious accident: One in which at least one person is seriously injured but no person (other than a confirmed suicide) is killed. Serious injury: An injury for which a person is detained in hospital as an in-patient, or any of the following injuries whether or not they are detained in hospital: fractures, concussion, internal injuries, crushings, burns (excluding friction burns), severe cuts, severe general shock requiring medical treatment and injuries causing death 30 or more days after the accident. An injured casualty is recorded as seriously or slightly injured by the police on the basis of information available within a short time of the accident. This generally will not reflect the results of a medical examination, but may be influenced according to whether the casualty is hospitalised or not. Hospitalisation procedures will vary regionally. Slight accident: One in which at least one person is slightly injured but no person is killed or seriously injured. Slight injury: An injury of a minor character such as a sprain (including neck whiplash injury), bruise or cut which are not judged to be severe, or slight shock requiring roadside attention. This definition includes injuries not requiring medical treatment. Statistical Release Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report- Page 8 of 8 16
17 Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2012 Annual Report Overview and trends in reported road casualties Summary This article reviews the main trends in the number of reported road accident casualties in Great Britain in 2012 compared with recent years. Figures are primarily derived from information about accidents reported to the police. In 2012: There were a total of 195,723 casualties of all severities in road accidents reported to the police. This was 4 per cent lower than in Of these, 1,754 people were killed in 2012, down 8 per cent from 2011 and a new record low. There were 23,039 seriously injured casualties (down by less then 1 per cent from 2011, but up from 2010) and 170,930 slightly injured casualties. The number of fatalities in 2012 fell for all road user groups except pedal cyclists (up from 107 in 2011 to 118 in 2012) and bus and coach occupants. Pedestrian fatalities fell by 7 per cent, motorcycle fatalities fell by 9 per cent, car occupant fatalities fell by 9 per cent, and goods vehicle occupant fatalities remained the same as in Changes in comparison to the average The average over the five-year period from 2005 to 2009 is used as a basis for comparison when considering road safety trends over a longer period and used as a baseline for the Outcomes Framework for the Strategic Framework for Road Safety 1. Compared with the average: The total number of fatalities in 2012 was 38 per cent lower than the average. The number of people killed or seriously injured was down by 17 per cent and the total number of casualties across all severities was down by 20 per cent. A total of 61 children (aged under 15 years old) were killed in reported road traffic accidents in 2012, up slightly from 60 in 2010, but down 52 per cent from the average. Figures for the Strategic Framework for Road Safety outcome indicators can be found in table RAS In addition a table summarising key figures showing long term trends in road accident casualties compared with traffic is in table RAS Overview and trends in reported road casualties Page 1 of 19 17
18 Part 1: Trends in reported road accident casualties This article is based on information about accidents reported to the police. However, it has long been known that a significant proportion of non fatal accidents are not reported and this should be borne in mind when using and analysing the data throughout this publication. We have released a new estimate, derived from survey data, of the total number of road casualties, with a range between thousand and a central estimate or 710 thousand. More details on this estimate and other sources of data on road casualties, in particular hospital admissions can be found in other articles in this report. Table RAS30059: Reported road accident casualties by severity, Great Britain: 2010 to 2012 Number average average Killed 2,816 1,850 1,901 1, of which children Seriously injured 27,225 22,660 23,122 23, Killed or seriously injured 30,041 24,510 25,023 24, o f which children 3,067 2,502 2,412 2, Slightly injured 216, , , , All severities 246, , , , Traffic KSI rate Slight casualty rate Traffic in billion vehicle miles; rates per billion vehicle miles, rounded to the nearest whole number Percentage change over: Chart 1 shows the trends in reported fatal, serious and slight casualties. In the early part of this series, between 1990 and 1995, fatalities fell more quickly than serious injuries (at around 7 per cent per year for fatalities and 5 per cent per year for serious injuries). In the latter half of the 1990s and through to 2005, this trend reversed with serious injuries falling by around 4 per cent by year in comparison with a 1 per cent per year average for fatalities. After 2006, though, the pattern reversed once again and more markedly than before. Since 2006, the number of people killed each year has fallen on average by 9 per cent per year. The number of serious injuries, however, has only fallen by 4 per cent per year on average. In comparison with this, the number of slightly injured casualties rose until 2000 and has fallen every year since. The reasons behind the differences between the different severity types have not yet been fully explained. 2 This is a potential area of work which might be addressed in a future annual report. Between 2011 and 2012 the number of people seriously injured in reported road traffic accidents fell by just under 0.5 per cent, from 23,122 to 23,039. Aside from the rise from Some work has been completed in the area. See, for instance, Lloyd, L, et al, 2013, Investigating the reduction in fatal accidents in Great Britain from , TRL Report PPR663. Overview and trends in reported road casualties Page 2 of 19 18
19 to 2011, this was the lowest fall in the number of serious injuries since Although the number of seriously injured casualties fell in 2012, the 2010 total of 22,660 still remains the record low. Chart 1: Traffic and reported casualties by severity, Great Britain: 1990 to 2012 Index: average = Traffic Killed Seriously injured Slightly injured Car occupants still make up the largest single road user group of seriously and slightly injured casualties (36 per cent of serious and 65 per cent of slight). However, the vulnerable road user groups, and especially motorcyclists and pedal cyclists make up considerably larger proportions of the seriously injured casualties. This is covered in more detail in the section on vulnerable road users later on. Further details of the number of casualties of each severity by road user type can be found in table RAS Fatalities Facts about fatalities There were a total of 1,754 fatalities in road accidents in 2012, 147 fewer than 2011 (an 8 per cent decrease). This is the lowest number of deaths since records began and is a return to the long term downward trend. The number of deaths works out at an average of almost five a day and 34 a week. In 2012, the number of fatalities were between 38 and 43 per cent below the average for the main road user groups (pedestrians, motorcycle users and car occupants), except for pedal cyclists, which was 9 per cent lower than the average. Between 2011 and 2012 fatalities fell for all of the main road user groups except for pedal cyclists, which rose by 10 per cent. Car occupant and motorcyclist fatalities each fell by 9 per cent, pedestrian fatalities fell by 7 per cent, pedal cyclists by 4 per cent and 22 per cent for bus and coach occupants. The number of children killed in reported road accidents has fallen by considerably more than the overall fatalities figure, by 52 per cent from the average. However, between 2011 and 2012, the number of children killed rose by 1. Overview and trends in reported road casualties Page 3 of 19 19
20 Over the long term, as shown in Chart 2, the number of fatalities in reported road accidents on British roads has fallen significantly. Since 1979 there have been two main periods of marked falls: 1990 to 1994, and 2006 to Within each of these five year periods, the number of people killed fell by over 30 per cent. Chart 2: Number of people killed in reported road accidents, Great Britain: 1969 to 2012 Number of people killed 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1, It is notable, as shown in Chart 3, that the two periods with strong falls in the number of deaths coincided with recessions ( and ). Although they are not always directly linked, there is a relationship between the performance of the economy in Great Britain and the level of traffic on the roads, especially for commercial vehicles. Furthermore, there is a relationship (albeit, again, not direct) between volumes of traffic and the number of road traffic accidents. Chart 3: Annual percentage change in number of reported road accident fatalities, GB motor vehicle traffic and UK GDP: 1970 to % 10% Year on year % change in road fatalities 10% 0% -10% -20% Road accident fatalities UK GDP Motor veh traffic Early 1990s recession recession % 0% -5% Year on year % change in traffic / GDP -10% Overview and trends in reported road casualties Page 4 of 19 20
21 However, as the number of fatalities has been falling even during periods when both GDP and traffic were growing, the relationship between the economy and road accident fatalities is neither simple nor linear. What can be concluded, though, is that although there are other reasons for the large drop in fatalities over the last forty years, economic recessions have seemingly accelerated decreases in road accident deaths. There are a number of factors which are likely to have contributed to falling numbers of people killed or injured in reported road traffic accidents. As well as economic factors mentioned above, there is evidence that the average traffic speed in free-flow areas as well as the proportion of drivers exceeding the speed limit has decreased over the last decade 3. This might not only help drivers to avoid accidents altogether, but also might reduce the severity and number of casualties when they do occur. Technological and engineering improvements to vehicles and highways will have played a similar rôle in both avoiding accidents and minimising their consequences. Improved education and training will have produced better and safer drivers. And finally improvements in trauma care (and in particular the creation of major trauma centres in England) will have helped to save lives once an accident has taken place. The return to the long term downward trend in fatalities in 2012 after the increase between 2010 and 2011 reinforces the hypothesis that the 2010 figures were affected by the weather. This, along with effect weather patterns had on the 2012 figures, is discussed later in this article. Further details on the weather in 2010 can be found in the 2011 annual report 4. Many of the general trends found in previous years hold true for For instance, most fatalities (almost 60 per cent) occur on rural roads, with 38 per cent occurring on rural A roads and a further 21 per cent on other rural roads. This is considerably higher than the 42 per cent of traffic which is found on these roads. In contrast with this, urban roads carried 38 per cent of traffic, but had 36 per cent of fatalities and 61 per cent of all casualties. Only 5 per cent of fatalities and casualties occurred on motorways, despite them carrying 20 per cent of traffic. Similarly, as in previous years, around 46 per cent of all fatalities were of car occupants (801). Of the remaining 953 deaths, 420 were pedestrians (24 per cent), 328 were motorcycle users (19 per cent), 118 were pedal cyclists (7 per cent), and 87 were goods vehicle, bus & coach or other vehicle occupants (5 per cent). A full breakdown of fatalities by road user type can be found in table RAS Further information on similar trends can be found in historical annual reports. Road traffic in 2012 was 0.4 per cent lower than in Given that traffic only increased by 0.2 per cent between 2010 and 2011, this suggests that there has been relatively little change in the volume of traffic on the roads over the past couple of years Table TRA0101 and Overview and trends in reported road casualties Page 5 of 19 21