§ 29. Mr. BoyesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on current standards of road safety.
Mr. BottomleyWe are making good progress. Despite a 5 per cent. increase in traffic, last year road accident deaths were down 5 per cent., seriously injured down 8 per cent. and child pedestrian casualties down 9 per cent.
Most road accident indicators show a decline over the last 20 years when related to the growth in traffic. We have the best road safety record in the European Community and one of the best in the world. That is no cause for complacency.
359WIn publishing last July the report of the interdepartmental review of road safety we set the objective of accelerating the reduction in road accident casualties so as to reduce the number by one third—from 300,000 per year to 200,000—by the year 2000.