Road deaths hold steady
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• The number of people killed on Britain's roads last year fell by just 14 to 3,409, suggesting measures introduced to reduce the accident numbers have not been as successful as the government had hoped.
While the number of people seriously injured fell by 2% to 313,155 in 2000, total casualties in 2000 were 320,283; about the same as in 1999.
More worryingly, provisional estimates indicate that the number of deaths in accidents involving drink-driving was over 10% higher in 2000 than in 1999, suggesting some drivers have become complacent about the
anti-drink-drive message. Total casualties in drink-drive amdents rose by some 7%.
The number of children killed or seriously injured fell by 9% over the same period and cyclists saw the biggest reduction in deaths and serious injuries, down by 13%. Deaths among motor cycle and scooter riders rose by 11% to 605 last year, While the government will claim the figures represent a victory—in 2000 the number of people killed or seriously injured was 13% below the 199498 average—it had expected the huge deployment of speed cameras to reduce the number of people killed on the nation's roads further than it has.