The number of people killed on the roads last year increased for the first time since 2003.
Figures published today by the Department for Transport reveal that the number of people killed on British roads rose by 3% from 1,850 in 2010 to 1,901 in 2011.
Child deaths rose by 9% from 55 in 2010 to 60 in 2011, while pedestrian deaths rose to 453, a 12% increase on the previous year's figures.
However, there was a 4% fall in the number of cyclists losing their lives, along with a 12% decline in motorcyclist fatalities.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and Brake have called on the government to implement changes to bring the number of road deaths down. Julie Townsend, Brake deputy chief exec, said: "It is vital the government wakes up to the very real and human consequences of inadequate action on road safety and moves quickly to address the biggest killers on our roads."
So what do you think? Is the rise in the number of road deaths worrying, or just a normal variation? Is the government doing enough to increase road safety, or should Brits be patting themselves on the back for having some of the safest roads in the world? Comment below.
