Road accident injuries highlighted

THE NUMBER of 20 to 24-year-olds injured in road accidents is nearly twice as high as the national adult average, according to Government statistics.

As many as 6.7% of 20 to 24-year-olds said they had been injured in a road accident in the period 2010 to 2012 compared with the all-adult (16 and over) average of 3.8%.

The next-worst casualty age range was 25 29-year-olds, of whom 5.8% suffered a road accident injury in 2010-12, while the figure for 30 to 39-year-olds was 5.0%.

In contrast, just 1.8% of those aged 60 and over had been injured in a road accident in the three-year period. The next-lowest figure (3.0%) was for 50 to 59-year-olds.

From a national travel survey of 17,000 people published by the Department for Transport (DfT), the figures showed that 4.1% of men and 3.6% of women had suffered a road accident injury in 2010-12.

Overall, 1.6% of adults (16 and over) had been injured in a road accident in 2012, while 5.7% had reported being involved in a road accident (whether injured or not) last year.

The survey also showed that 11.8% of adults and 5.5% of children (under 16s) reported they were involved in at least one road accident in the period 2010-12, with the 2012 figure for children being 2.8%.

Of the slight injuries, whiplash accounted for 57% over the 2010-12 period, followed by minor bruising or cuts.

Fractures and broken bones were the main serious injuries, followed by severe shock.

A total of 77% who reported injuries sought some form of medical attention, with 38% of those surveyed having treatment at accident and emergency departments.

Other DfT figures show that most road deaths (almost 60%) occur on rural roads even those these roads carry only around 42% of total traffic.

In contrast, only 5% of deaths and injuries occur on motorways, despite these roads carrying 20% of traffic.

The department has also said that motorcycle users, per mile ridden, are roughly 35 times more likely to be killed in a road traffic accidents than car occupants, while pedestrians and pedal cyclists are roughly 11 times more likely to be killed.

By Press Association reporters