Road casualties rise in Nottinghamshire – but still lower than before pandemic

More people were injured and killed on Nottinghamshire’s roads last year, new figures show, but casualty numbers remain lower than before the pandemic.
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The coronavirus pandemic saw road casualties drop across Great Britain as drivers stayed at home during lockdowns, but charities have warned the Government must do more tackle an uptick in injuries from traffic accidents.

Provisional figures from the Department for Transport suggest there were 1,640 road casualties in Nottinghamshire in 2021 – a rise from 1,411 the year before, but fewer than the 1,956 in 2019.

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More people were killed on the area's roads last year – 24 people died, while 18 were killed in 2020.

Overall, across Great Britain there were 127,967 road casualties in 2021Overall, across Great Britain there were 127,967 road casualties in 2021
Overall, across Great Britain there were 127,967 road casualties in 2021

Meanwhile, 381 serious injuries were recorded – an increase on the year before, when 351 people were badly hurt.

It comes as tens of thousands of children marched for safe streets in the UK in a campaign organised by road safety charity Brake.

National figures show 2,261 children were injured and 33 killed on Britain's streets last year.

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Overall, across Britain there were 127,967 road casualties in 2021, an 11 per cent rise on the year before, while 1,560 people were killed.

Of those who died, 686 were car users, alongside 363 pedestrians and 299 motorcyclists.

The number of cyclists killed dropped by 20 per cent, from 141 in 2020 to 113.

Mark Turner, Road Victims Trust chief executive, said: “Four people will be killed on the roads of the UK each day, with many more suffering life-changing injuries.

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“The devastation and trauma caused by these collisions is immense and it is disturbing to see a climb in the numbers of people affected.”

The RAC said the Government must do more to improve road safety.

Nicholas Lyes, RAC head of roads policy, said: “There is a huge level of concern among drivers about the standard of driving on our roads, so we urge the Government to consider reintroducing road safety targets.”

A DfT spokesman said: “Any fatality on our roads is a tragedy and our sympathies remain with anyone who has lost a loved one.

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“Road safety is a top priority we are committed to improving.”

Gary Wood, Nottinghamshire Council head of highways and transport, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear about any accidents in Nottinghamshire which result in casualties and take safety on our roads extremely seriously.

“The council has a comprehensive programme to improve safety, with a dedicated Safer Highways team delivering education, analysis and improvements to reduce the number of people injured.

“The team delivers a range of targeted training to more than 20,000 pedestrians and road users, including primary and secondary education, new drivers, people driving for business and older drivers, all aimed at promoting positive behaviours on the highway. We also deliver Bikeabilty cycle training to almost 10,000 young people per year.

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“The Safer Highways team also monitors all accidents taking place on the county’s roads, working with Nottinghamshire Police and looking for any recurring patterns in the contributory factors relating to accidents. Where appropriate, they develop new schemes to reduce these in the future.

“We recently surpassed our 10-year casualty reduction target and aim to reduce the number of fatal and serious road traffic collisions in the county by 40 per cent over the next 10 years.”

Nottinghamshire Police have been approached for comment.