Speed risk stats cut

The Department of Transport (DfT) has revealed that just four per cent of injury crashes involved someone exceeding a speed limit in 2005.

The annual report by the DfT has revealed that ‘Failed to look properly’ was the most frequently reported contributory factor, and was involved in 32 per cent of accidents, with five of the six most common factors involving driver or rider error or reaction. In an official release ‘Exceeding the speed limit’0 is grouped with ‘Going to fast for the conditions’, and was reported in 15 per cent of all accidents.

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There are also concerns raised by the Statistics Commision that the police figures, on which Government statistics are based, then to be lower than hospital figures, in light of a claimed drop of one per cent in road deaths in 2005, and a drop in serious injuries of seven per cent.

Plau Smith, founder of road safety campaign Safe Speed has responded to the news;

“Safe Speed has been pointing out for years that the concentration on speeding was a deadly mistake. First the DfT said one third of crashes were caused by speeding. Then 12 per cent. Now four per cent. Our entire road safety policy has been based on dodgy data. Department for Transport has been defending bad decisions and bad policy for years. Now it must stop. Speed cameras must be scrapped. Heads must roll.

“We must put skills and attitudes at the heart of the road safety agenda. The skills that matetr are in concentration, observation, anticipation, risk recognition and risk management.”