The introduction of better roadside cameras and reduced speed limits have contributed to a decrease in the number of road casualties in the UK over the last few years.
Recently released data from the Department for Transport has revealed that UK road fatalities are at their lowest since 1979.
The reduction of road casualties is thought to have been due to the implementation of telematics technologies in vehicles and the introduction of 20mph speed limits in built-up residential areas and near schools.
The CEO of RED Driving School, Ian McIntosh has said that drivers have “better speed control” on modern roads which has had a major impact on reducing incidents.
Mcintosh added: “In more recent years, the decrease in accidents has been led by UK drivers adopting better speed control, a direct result of increased and more accurate speeding enforcement on the roads.
“The introduction of ‘yellow vulture’ speed cameras, wider implementation of telematic technology, and reduced speed limits such as 20mph zones outside schools are all contributing factors.
“Increased congestion and higher traffic volume have also prevented speeding.”
The findings from the Department of Transport have shown that the number of casualties in reported road accidents in last years’ figures were 5% lower than in 2018. 2019 saw 153,313 casualties reported as a result of road traffic incidents.
The number of young people involved in road accidents, of all severities of injury, was also down by 6% when compared to the data released in 2018. The DfT also reported that the rate of fatalities per billion vehicle miles has dropped by 2% from 5.38 fatalities per billion vehicle miles in 2018, to 5.25 in 2019.
The analysis also showed that road deaths have slowed over the last ten years, after major declines between 2003 and 2009.
