Road deaths down
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ROAD DEATHS in Great Britain last year were the lowest since 1958. The Department of Transport estimated that 6,300 people were killed in 1979, 7 per cent fewer than in 1978. The severe weather at the beginning of 1979 and the reduction in average mileage per car, following rises in the price of petrol are, thought to have contributed to this decline. In addition to those killed in 1979 there were 80,000 seriously injured and 247,000 slightly injured, falls of 3 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. Total casualties number 334,000, 5 per cent less than in 1978, although traffic was much the same in the two years.
The 1979 figures show an improvement for pedestrians and all motor vehicle users. Casualties among car occupants fell in 1979 after rising in each of the previous three years. in 1979 there were 149,000 car occupant casualties, 6 per cent fewer than in 1978, although car traffic was much the same in the two years. Despite a small increase (2 per cent) in two wheeled motor vehicle traffic, the number of casualties among users of these vehicles fell by 4 per cent to 67,000. Although deaths among two wheeled motor vehicle users fell by 1 per cent there were still nearly 1,200 such deaths in 1979. Pedestrian casualties fell to their lowest level since 1958. There were 67,000 pedestrian casualties in 1979, 5 per cent less than in 1978. Child pedestrian casualties fell by 9 per cent as the child population at risk continued to fall.
The only group of vehicle users which had higher casualties in 1979 than in 1978 was pedal cyclists. In 1979 there were 24,000 casualties, 6 per cent more than in 1978, although pedal cycle traffic fell by 3 per cent. Pedal cycle casualty figures have now climbed back to the levels of the late sixties, having fallen to 19,000 in 1974.