Press
Release
10 July 2001
August: National Road Victim Month
'Road deaths and injuries shatter lives'
Throughout Britain, road crash victims draw attention to
the carnage on our roads - the present day holocaust - and to
the fact that the number of people injured each year is
two to three times greater than shown by official
statistics.
Observed as National Road Victim Month for the third year,
August was chosen because of the anniversaries of death, on
17 August, of Bridget Driscoll, the first ever road victim
and, on 31 August, of Diana, Princess of Wales. Also
because during this holiday month, there is an increased risk
of children being injured or killed while off school and of
holidaymakers being involved in a road crash.
In 1999, the UK official road death toll was 3,564 and
330,159 people were reported injured. The
true scale of road death and injury is far worse
still. According to the TRL Report 173, based on
hospital (not police) data, the annual number of injured
is almost double and serious injuries are three times higher
than the reported 40,000. Deaths occurring more than 30 days
after the crash are not reflected in fatality
figures.
RoadPeace members will distribute posters, leaflets and
bookmarks and stage a number of events to publicise the
true scale of this ongoing disaster and to remind the
nation of the plight of people bereaved and injured through
crashes.
While much effort is being given to the 40% reduction in
police reported road deaths and serious injuries, National
Road Victim Month will focus on the 60% of deaths and serious
injuries expected and accepted by the Government: over 25,000
deaths and between 300,000 to 750,000 (police or hospital
data) serious injuries will occur in the next decade, even if
the Government's 40% planned reduction in deaths and serious
injuries is fully achieved. No provision has been made for
those road victims.
Brigitte Chaudhry, National Secretary, said: "With
at least 1 million people affected each year, directly and as
family and friends, the massive scale of the problem cannot
be overemphasised. We want to warn road users that
they are far more likely to be involved in a crash than is
generally known, but also stress that these deaths and
injuries are not inevitable. Everyone should be involved in
reducing them and in campaigning to make their prevention and
better victim care a political priority." end
Notes to Editors
25 August - RoadPeace members and supporters will gather
in Westminster and distribute 262 white carnations in memory
of those killed in London last year (45,797 were
reported injured)
31 August - RoadPeace representatives and members, along
with local dignitaries, will lay flowers at the Diana,
Princess of Wales Memorial in Liverpool
The document on under-reporting of road casualties will be
available from RoadPeace in August.
For more information on RoadPeace and events:
Heather Tucker, Orchid PR tel. 020 8614 0205; heather
@orchidpr.co.uk
RoadPeace, the national charity for road traffic victims
tel. 020 8838 5102; [email protected]
