Facts about road accidents and children

This report analyses child accident rates over the last 10 years, during which time 32,849 children have been killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads.

The report aims to identify ways to improve the road safety standards for children in the UK.

The report shows that in the past five years there has been a proportionate rise in child deaths and injuries among pedestrians (66% of all accidents in 2011, compared to 61% in 2006); the proportional share of death and serious injury for under fives is at the highest level for 10 years; pedestrian casualties for girls under eight are at the highest level since 2005; and more than 2,400 children under the age of 16 were killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads in 2011.

The publishers says the report is intended to “arm parents and communities with the information they need to help reduce child road accidents, and to bring the number of casualties down to 1,500 by 2020 – a 40% reduction on 2011”.