The Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones has welcomed figures released yesterday that show that fatalities on Welsh roads are at their lowest levels since records began.
The Police Reported Road Traffic Fatalities, 2010 released today show that in 2010 there were 89 deaths on Welsh roads, which is the lowest since 1968 when this information was first compiled in Wales, and the first time the figure has been below 100.
Mr Jones, who is also the Minister for Economy and Transport said,
“This government is committed to making Wales’ roads safer for all who use them and these figures make very welcome reading. This is the lowest figure that has ever been recorded in Wales and demonstrates that the promotion of safe driving through effective education, safety improvements on our roads and tougher enforcement is paying off.”
The report, published today, by the Welsh Assembly Government, also found that there has been a 71% reduction in child fatalities in Wales, when compared to the 1994-98 figures.
“Whilst today’s release is very encouraging, we cannot and will not be complacent. As the police, A&E staff, road safety experts and the families of those who have tragically died in road collisions will tell you, we all need to do more, the Minister said.
“Road safety messages, particularly among young drivers, still need to be heard. We will continue to work with the Regional transport consortia and road safety professionals to see if there is more we can do to educate young drivers to the dangers of driving and the potential for tragedy every time they get into a vehicle.”
During 2010, there were 82 fatal accidents in Wales resulting in 89 fatalities, which is 36 fewer than were killed during 2009, a fall of 29 per cent. This means that 2010 had the lowest measured level of road traffic fatalities in Wales since 1968 when separate Welsh figures were first compiled.
Traffic fatalities in Wales most recently peaked in 1973 with a total of 424 people killed; but fatalities generally declined over the following years, falling to 161 by 2007. The number of road traffic fatalities fell steadily over the next three years. By 2010, based on patterns for the United Kingdom as a whole, it is probably the lowest level of traffic fatalities in Wales since the 1920s.
The allocation of over £35million in road safety grants since 2007 has enabled local authorities to implement a range of road safety projects that have contributes to this downward trend of fatalities that we see today.
