Contents
Briefing paper 76/2011, provides an explanation for increase in fatal road traffic collisions
Warning: This is archived material and may be out of date. The Metropolitan Police Authority has been replaced by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC).
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Explanation for increase in fatal road traffic collisions
76/11
28 October 2011
MPA briefing paper 76/2011
This briefing paper has been prepared to inform members and staff. It is not a committee report and no decisions are required.
Summary
At the Strategic and Operational Policing Committee meeting of 13 October 2011, Members requested for the MPS to provide a response to a question raised in relation to fatal road traffic collisions.
Question
Reasons as to why there were more road fatalities in the first five months of the financial year (to August 2011) and why there were more minor injuries sustained. Does this indicate a change in the speed at which road users are colliding?
Response
- In the five months 01/04/11 to 31/08/11 there have been 69 road fatalities recorded in the MPS
- For the same five-month period in 2010 there were 55
- For the same period in 2009 there were 78
The breakdown of these fatalities by road user type is as shown below:
| April - Aug 2011 | Fatalities | % total fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 29 | 42% |
| Drivers | 8 | 12% |
| Passengers | 8 | 12% |
| P2W users | 16 | 23% |
| Pedal cyclists | 8 | 12% |
| Total | 69 |
This compares with the breakdown for 2010 below:
| April - Aug 2010 | Fatalities | % total fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 23 | 42% |
| Drivers | 6 | 11% |
| Passengers | 7 | 13% |
| P2W users | 14 | 25% |
| Pedal cyclists | 5 | 9% |
| Total | 55 |
The distribution by road user type is broadly similar, with all user groups experiencing higher actual fatality numbers than the same period in 2010. However the 2011 period has seen a relative increase in the proportion of cyclists and a slight decrease in the proportion of P2W users killed.
It should be recognized that the causes of road traffic collisions have multiple factors and include random elements, making it difficult to determine reliably the reason for increases or decreases.
There are numerous factors that determine the severity of a collision and survival rates. Some of these (e.g. age and underlying health of victim, speed and skill of paramedic response and subsequent medical treatment, size of vehicle involved etc) have little relation to the actual behaviours of road users involved. Others, such as speed of vehicles at point of impact, use of safety features (helmets, seatbelts) do.
The evidence from the fatal collisions does not suggest people are speeding less. However, given the small actual numbers involved caution is advised in making inferences from the fatality statistics.
In all personal injury collisions the officer on scene records their opinion of factors that caused the accident. In 2009 (calendar year) 2841 collisions were recorded with ‘Exceeding speed limit’ or ‘Travelling too fast for conditions’ as a primary factor. In 2010 this had reduced to 2472. 1160 have been recorded in the first 6 months of 2011. Whilst this seems to suggest a reduction in speeding it should be noted that fluctuations do occur and the recording of primary causes is solely down to the individual officer’s judgement on the scene
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