London’s transport agency says 2,092 people were killed or seriously injured in 2015, down from 2,167 the year before and a 42 per cent reduction on the 2005-09 baseline against which road safety progress is measured.
However despite the overall fall, there was a seven per cent increase in fatalities which rose from 127 to 136, although TfL says that this figure is down 36 per cent on the baseline.
Fatal and serious incidents involving cyclists fell 10 per cent, while number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured decreased by six per cent. However the number of fatalities in this group rose from 64 to 66.
TfL says its data shows a “concerning” rise in the number of motorcyclist fatalities and serious injuries with nine more riders dying in road collisions compared to the previous year (36 up from 27). Again, TfL says the longterm trend is down with the numbers showing a 32 per cent fall since 2005-09.
Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: “We are making good progress in reducing death and serious injury on our roads and meeting our target of a 50 per cent reduction by 2020.
“However, there remains an enormous amount to do and we are, in particular, deeply concerned about the rise in the number of fatal collisions involving motorcyclists.
“We are taking a range of actions to tackle this, including working with the Motorcycle Industry Association, funding for accredited training centres and one-to-one motorcycle commuter training, and improving street design for motorcyclists.”
Commenting on the figures, Green party London Assembly member, Caroline Russell said: “It’s encouraging that the number of people being killed and seriously injured on our streets continues to fall.
“However, the increase in slight injuries and motorcycle collisions is very worrying.
“Even a slight injury can totally disrupt your life. If you can’t get into work and you can’t pay your bills, then your life can quickly be turned upside down.”
“The Mayor must prioritise reducing road danger and safeguard the road safety budget when he re-writes TfL’s business plan, not cut it as the previous Mayor suggested.”
