Driving deaths down below 3000 is a major success for road safety policy in Britain says the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists). Deaths have never been this low since national recording began in 1926. Back then there were only 1.7 million vehicles on the road, now there are over 33 million.
Neil Greig, Director of the IAM Motoring Trust, said: “There is no place for complacency in road safety. But national targets and the concentration on the simple message of the three ‘E’s of Education, Enforcement and Engineering have delivered safer roads than ever before.”
The Department for Transport (DfT) report ‘Road Casualties in Great Britain 2007,’ revealed today the number of people killed in road accidents fell by seven per cent from 3,172 in 2006 to 2,943 in 2007. The number of children killed fell by 20 per cent to 121.
Mr Greig added: “The challenge now is to drive down these figures even further by targeting known high risks such as rural single carriageways, young drivers and those who drive for work. Further reductions in deaths on the road will not come cheap and government must allocate more funding to road engineering schemes and actively encourage drivers to treat driving as a skill for life.”
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NOTES TO EDITORS
1.Issued by the IAM Press Office, telephone 020 8996 9625. We have an ISDN line for interviews.
2. The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) directly influences the driving and riding of more than 160,000 road users a year (full members, associates and commercial clients) in the UK and Ireland. Established in 1956, the IAM is today best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving course. The IAM has grown to become the UK’s leading road safety charity, dedicated to raising driving standards, engaging with the road-using public and influencing road safety policy. IAM Fleet, the corporate arm of the IAM, has two subsidiary companies, Drive & Survive and Fleet Ireland. It also operates IAM Pro-Drive.
3. A 2006 report by Brunel University, following an 18 month study, concluded that “advanced driver training produces safer drivers and lower accident involvement”, with measurable improvements in knowledge, skills and attitude. The “Driving Tips” provided by the IAM are part of our broader road safety mission and not intended as a substitute for the advanced driving course.
4. In January 2007, the IAM Motoring Trust was established as the research and advocacy arm of the IAM. The IAM Motoring Trust will undertake research, promote practical policies, act as an advocate for safer roads, safer drivers and safer vehicles and encourage responsible motoring through education and training.
5. Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2007
6. The statistics refer to personal injury accidents on public roads (including footways) which became known to the police. Figures for deaths refer to persons who sustained injuries which caused death less than 30 days after the accident.
