A 12 per cent drop in the number of people killed on Britain’s roads shows that road safety works, says the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Figures for the number of casualties reported to the police in 2009, published by the Department for Transport today, reveal that the number of deaths on Britain’s roads fell from 2,538 in 2008 to 2,222.

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at RoSPA, said: “Overall, the figures are good news. The reduction in deaths represents another very large fall on top of that achieved in 2008. In two years, we have seen a fall in road deaths of more than 700. It is particularly good that child deaths are now lower than 100, although this is clearly still too many.

“All of this shows the value of having a comprehensive road safety strategy. The challenge now is to keep this momentum going and continue the reduction in death and injury on the roads in the current economic climate.

“With public spending reducing dramatically, we need to find ways of ensuring that our investment in road safety is maintained. In addition to the human cost of road accidents, the financial cost to the country runs into the billions of pounds – money that Britain could really do with saving. Preventing accidents is highly cost effective.

“Over the next few years, we will need to find ways of delivering road safety with less money and making sure that the money that is invested is so done effectively.

“We already know there are ways in which even more lives can be saved, such as: implementing the recommendations of the North Review, especially lowering the drink-drive limit and introducing random breath testing; improving driver training and testing; introducing an extra hour of evening daylight all year round by switching to Single Double Summer Time; and harnessing the potential of vehicle and road technology to make driving safer and more fuel efficient.”

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