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Brake comments as UK stagnates on road safety progress

The UK is one of the EU countries making the slowest progress on reducing road deaths, according to a new report by the European Transport Safety Council [1].

The number of deaths on UK roads fell by just 6.4% between 2010 and 2017, contributing little towards the collective EU target of a 50% reduction in road deaths by 2020. Whilst the UK does have a strong road safety record, the only other EU countries making slower progress on road safety are Sweden, The Netherlands and Malta.

The report also highlights how the UK is one of the few EU countries to see the number of serious Injuries from crashes on the roads increase since 2010, with a 5.8% rise.

Commenting, Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake, said:

“We take for granted that the UK has some of the safest roads in the EU but this report should act as a wake-up call to the Government. All road crashes are preventable tragedies and even one death or injury on the road is one too many. Progress on road safety in the UK has stagnated in recent years and urgent action is required to remedy this.

“The Government’s recent move to improve road collision investigation was long-awaited and much welcomed. It is vital that the strengthened roads collision investigation provides evidence which directly leads to improvements in policy. Only through in-depth investigation, at a national level, can solutions be found to stem the needless deaths on the roads every day.

“Brake also welcomed the EU Commission’s announcement of a new target for a 50% reduction in EU road deaths and serious injuries between 2020 and 2030 [2]. We urge the UK to follow the EU’s lead and implement national road safety targets, to reignite progress on road safety and strive towards a vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”

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