- Fatalities up by 7% compared to 2020
- Pedal cycle fatalities down a fifth from 2020
- E-scooter collisions increased year-on-year
Reacting to the provisional road casualty statistics for 2021
which state 1,560 people lost their lives on British roads*, Jack
Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said; “As the lockdowns
eased, we were hopeful that the reduction seen in the 2020 road
casualties statistics could be maintained for longer, but sadly
that wasn’t the case.
“Fatalities were up 7% while those suffering any form of injury
increased by 11%. The one glimmer of hope is that the total
number of casualties last year remains lower than pre-pandemic
levels**, so we need that to be the turning point in order to
make our roads as safe as possible.
“While the number of people cycling increased over the past two
years, despite an initial spike of pedal cycle fatalities in 2020
it has dropped by a fifth last year. We welcome this and hope the
updated changes to the Highway Code create the pathway towards
safer cycling.
Commenting on e-scooters***, Cousens continues; “We are still
learning about the type of incidents e-scooters are involved in
as well as the kinds of injuries they create. While the number of
collisions increased significantly from 2020, initial reporting
shows that e-scooter riders are more likely to hurt themselves
rather than others.
"Despite the fact e-scooters are only legal through rental
schemes, some police forces have been collecting the type of
owner. Interestingly Nottinghamshire Police recorded more private
e-scooter injuries compared to those in rental schemes which
highlights the need to properly regulate e-scooter specifications
before allowing them on our roads.”
ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
* https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-provisional-results-2021
**https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1078246/ras9101.ods
*** https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-e-scooter-factsheet-2021
