PACTS urges Government to change how it reports road deaths

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) is urging the Government to change the way it reports road deaths to show danger as well as vulnerability.

The ‘What kills most on the roads?’ analysis from PACTS, highlights that pedestrians and cyclists rarely kill other road users while motor vehicles do.

It also shows that road users are much more likely to be killed in a car, or by a car, than any other mode.

The report shows that for every 100 pedestrians killed, almost two thirds involved a car (65), 11 involved a lorry, seven involved a van and six involved a bus.

David Davies, PACTS executive director, said the current way Department for Transport (DfT) figures are reported “can tie even the most seasoned road safety professional in knots”.

He said safety data can be open to misunderstanding which in turn can lead to “poor policy decisions”.

Davies said: “This new style of report shows road danger as well as vulnerability.

“It highlights the overall risks involved with different modes of transport, including the risks posed to others.”

PACTS is urging the DfT to include this form of analysis in its future publications, which it hopes will lead to a better understanding by experts, politicians and the media of the sources of road danger and how forward-thinking policies on active travel can be achieved in parallel with ambitious road safety objectives.

What kills most on the roads? report data shows:

For 100 pedestrians killed

• 65 deaths involved a car
• 11 involved a lorry
• 7 involved a van and
• 6 involved a bus

For 100 cyclists killed

• 48  deaths involved a car
• 12 involved a lorry
• 7 involved a van and
• and 14 involved no other vehicle

For 100 motorcyclist killed

• 33 involved a car
• 5 involved a lorry
• 5  involved a van
• 12 involved no other vehicle

In every 100 crashes, of those killed by HGV

• 42 were in cars
• 20 were walking
• 11 were motorcyclists
• 7 were cyclists
• 6 were in vans
• 4 were also in an HGV

In every 100 crashes, of those killed by a car

• 42 were walking
• 30 were also in a car
• 16 were on a motorcycle
• 7 were on a bicycle

The full What kills most on the roads? report is available here.