The number of motorcyclists killed on UK roads is down by 13% from 365 to 319, according to the Department for Transport. The fall comes despite an increase in the amount of motorcycle traffic. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) says this “demonstrates that motorcycle safety messaging is having a positive effect”.
The good news is in contrast to the overall picture, which shows an increase in the number of vulnerable road users being killed on Britain’s roads.Â
This shows a need for a renewed push for safety, according to RoSPA.
Figures released on 28 September show that 1792 people were killed in 2016 – the highest number of deaths since 2011. Many of these involved vulnerable road users, with pedestrian deaths up by 10% to 448, compared with 2015, and cyclist deaths up by 2% to 102.
“Worryingly, the number of children killed is also up by 28% on 2015, with 69 under-15s dying in 2016. Of all child road casualties 38% (15,976) were pedestrians, and nearly a quarter (22%) were killed or injured during the afternoon school run, between the hours of 3-5pm.
RoSPA, the UK’s leading family safety charity, is calling for a renewed focus on teaching children life-saving road safety skills.
Full details of the statistics for 2016 can be found on the Department for Transport website.