Road Casualties

It’s motorcyclists we need to control. Overall deaths and injuries are up, car victims down. “Vulnerable road users” are suffering. Cyclists – dead and injured up 13 per cent. Motorcyclists – up 8 per cent. Child pedestrians – up 14 per cent. Car users killed or badly injured – down 4 per cent. Loose talk about 40mph limits on country roads looks like political window dressing. It is born-again bikers, with not enough training or experience, and not regularly riding on their immensely fast and extremely noisy machines that are worsening the figures. Cars are getting safer. Brakes, handling, airbags and increasing use of safety belts have all helped, and although there is scope for improvement, and IAM-style qualifications should be encouraged, let’s scrutinise the figures before drawing sweeping conclusions and imposing a whole set of restrictions that won’t work.