Of accidents up
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• The latest edition of the Department of Transport's annual road accident statistics report provides strong evidence that safety standards in the road transport industry are slipping.
Last year there was a 10.5% increase in the number of serious injuries and deaths involving commercial vehieles. A total of 11,701 people were killed or seriously injured in accidents involving commercial vehicles in 1985, compared with 10,590 in 1984.
Driving standards, however, in the light goods vehicle category appear to have deteriorated most, with a 20.3% increase in the number of light goods vehicle drivers killed in accidents (77 killed last year, compared with 64 in 1984).
In the heavy goods vehicle category, there were 12 fewer driver deaths in 1985, than in 1984 (54 compared with 66) — but the total number of deaths and serious injuries resulting from accidents involving HGVs rose from 2,581 to 2,751.
Overall, Britain's roads saw the lowest number of traffic deaths since 1954, with 5,165 killed last year, a drop of 8%.
A spokesman for the PIA says the latest road accident figures show that the industry "must be more vigilant. This is one of the prime reasons that we and the RHA have launched the 'No Need to Speed' road safety campaign. Lorries are still the safest vehicles on the road (they are involved in fewer accidents per 100 million kilometres travelled than any other road vehicle type) but we cannot allow standards to slip".