Official statistics available for the UK collated by the police show that during the 12 years to 2011, there were over 3,000,000 road casualties in Great Britain. During this 12 year period over 36,000 people died while a further 373,985 were seriously injured. But it is worth noting that the police figures do not reflect the full scale of death and injury on the UK’s roads as many incidents go unreported.
The most accurate official estimate for the total number of people killed and injured in the UK by road collisions/year is 730,000. While the price paid by the victims and their families is inestimable, the annual cost to the economy is between €17.46 billion and €37.24 billion.
Worrying statistics also highlight a link between crime and road accidents, according to preliminary research by South Yorkshire police. This revealed that for every fatal collision, there is a one in two chance that the driver responsible has a criminal record.
Another study into the link between drivers involved in collisions and their recorded motoring offences or criminal histories has made some striking findings. This showed van drivers and truck drivers involved in a crash are amongst the most likely to have either a motoring offence or a criminal record.
The research suggests that risk taking behaviour exhibited by criminals in their illegal activities may also be reflected in the way in which they drive vehicles.
Looking ahead it seems to suggest that any attempts to rehabilitate criminals should also extend to driver education, whether or not they already hold a driver’s license. It is extremely likely that similar characteristics would be exhibited by criminals in other countries and that addressing this aspect of road safety on an international basis would result in significant reductions in road accidents worldwide.
The most accurate official estimate for the total number of people killed and injured in the UK by road collisions/year is 730,000. While the price paid by the victims and their families is inestimable, the annual cost to the economy is between €17.46 billion and €37.24 billion.
Worrying statistics also highlight a link between crime and road accidents, according to preliminary research by South Yorkshire police. This revealed that for every fatal collision, there is a one in two chance that the driver responsible has a criminal record.
Another study into the link between drivers involved in collisions and their recorded motoring offences or criminal histories has made some striking findings. This showed van drivers and truck drivers involved in a crash are amongst the most likely to have either a motoring offence or a criminal record.
The research suggests that risk taking behaviour exhibited by criminals in their illegal activities may also be reflected in the way in which they drive vehicles.
Looking ahead it seems to suggest that any attempts to rehabilitate criminals should also extend to driver education, whether or not they already hold a driver’s license. It is extremely likely that similar characteristics would be exhibited by criminals in other countries and that addressing this aspect of road safety on an international basis would result in significant reductions in road accidents worldwide.
