ABD calls for greater transparency on casualty figures

As the government announces another quarter’s casualty figures some four months after the quarter end, the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) calls on the government to investigate casualty data far more rigorously and to ensure openness and honesty amongst all bodies concerned.

Spokesman Nigel Humphries said: “Anybody who has attempted to find out any detail on accident causation statistics will be all too familiar with being shuffled from police to camera partnerships to local authorities, all of whom are extremely reluctant to reveal anything. It is vital that this stops. There must be openness and clarity. Details of factors are recorded at crash scenes but do not appear to be properly correlated and analysed by anybody. The raw data is kept confidential, allegedly to protect victims and relatives but surely they would want the truth revealed to help bring down casualties?”

Humphries continued: “We constantly see headlines stating that casualties are up or down but the only valid measure is casualties per billion vehicle km. This is rarely quoted. Of course if a road is busier casualties are likely to increase. We also do not have any breakdown of motorway figures. Motorways are where most new cameras are being introduced. What, for example is the casualty rate in camera controlled sections against other sections? Nobody knows. We are told around 6 per cent of casualties occur above the speed limit but how many of those 6 per cent are also drunk/drugged/unlicensed, in stolen vehicles or racing at reckless speeds? Again nobody seems to know. It’s a lamentable state of affairs and leaves road safety wide open to influence by hysterical campaigners and vested interests of which there are all too many.”