Biker deaths and injuries drop 4%

[Whealie]

Latest transport department statistics show that 472 motorcyclists died in 2009, down 4% on 2008. The number reported as seriously injured fell by 4% to 5,350.

Total reported motorcycle user casualties fell by 4% to 20,703 in 2008, yet Motorcycle traffic rose by 2% over the same period.The all motorcycle user casualties figure for 2009 of 20,703 is 4% lower than in 2008.

Total figures
Overall, the number of people killed in road accidents fell by 12% from 2,538 in 2008 to 2,222 in 2009. In accidents reported to the police 26,096 people were killed or seriously injured in 2009, 6% down on 2008. There were just over 222,000 road casualties in Great Britain in 2009, 4% down on 2008.

The number of deaths among car users was 1,059, 16% down the previous year. The number seriously injured in accidents reported to the police fell by 6% to 10,053. Total reported casualties among car users were 143,412, 4% down on 2008. Car and taxi traffic remained at about the same level.

Child deaths
Reported child casualties fell by 6%. The number of children killed or seriously injured in 2009 was 2,671 (down 5% on 200. Of those, 1,660 were pedestrians, 7% down on 2008. 81 children died on the roads, 43 less than in the previous year, a reduction of more than a third.

There were 500 pedestrian deaths, 13% down on 2008. Reported seriously injured casualties fell by 9% to 5,545. The all pedestrian casualty figure fell to 26,887 in 2009, 6% lower than 2008.

The number of pedal cyclists killed fell by 10% from 115 in 2008 to 104 in 2009. The number of seriously injured rose by 6% to 2,606. The total casualties among pedal cyclists rose by 5% to 17,064.

Underreportng?
There were 163,554 road accidents reported to the police involving personal injury in 2009, 4% fewer than in 2008. Of these, 21,997 accidents involved serious injuries, 5% fewer than in 2008 (23,121).

Road safety charity Brake claimed the figures underreported road casualties. “DfT’s own annual road casualty report for 2008 compared casualty statistics with hospital data, finding significant under-reporting,” it said. It called for tougher targets.

Links (new windows)
DfT Stats
Brake

[StumpyFingers]

Whenever there is good news regarding fewer accidents or injuries, there is always some group who query the way stats are gathered.
I wonder if it would be the case if the figures were reversed?