Road Safety Week: Stark figures highlight impact of deaths and serious injuries on district’s roads

To coincide with national Road Safety Week (17-23 November), newly-published figures by Leeds City Council show that a total of 13 people were killed on our roads in 2023, with 493 people seriously injured and a further 1,887 people suffering slight injuries.

Whilst Leeds' latest figures are bucking regional and national trends, they remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. It is hoped that by bringing a stark focus to the previous year’s tragic statistics will encourage everyone to pay extra attention to theirs and other’s safety when using the city’s roads, and in some cases to change their behaviour before setting out on their journeys.

Leeds City Council was the first authority in West Yorkshire to adopt its own Vision Zero strategy, with the ambition of eliminating deaths on the city's roads by 2040. This includes working with partners to take an even more pro-active approach to road safety, and by educating drivers about the dangers and consequences of poor behaviour and attitudes while driving on the city's roads.

The number of deaths on Leeds' roads has more than halved compared to 2022's total of 27 fatalities. The overall number of deaths and injuries has also reduced by nearly 8%, compared to a total of 2,045 in 2022.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:

“The reality is that one death on our roads is one too many, yet these figures highlight that on average one person is killed every month in a road traffic collision, and roughly one person is seriously injured every day.

“Behind every one of these shocking statistics is someone’s personal story, of whom their lives and the lives of their families have been irreversibly changed as the result of a collision that perhaps could have been avoided. Chances are that you may know someone affected by such an incident.

“Across the city we are working with our partners to achieve Vision Zero, where we can eliminate road deaths. We are pleased that we seem to be reversing this worrying trend and the number of deaths and serious injuries are falling, but we are not complacent and there is still much to do to return to pre-pandemic levels and continue reducing these further.

“By sharing these figures during Road Safety Week we hope to raise awareness among our communities that everyone has a part to play in making our district’s roads safer for everyone who uses them.”

The theme of Road Safety Week 2024 is ‘after the crash, every road victim counts’.

Alongside the new figures for deaths and serious injuries on Leeds’ roads 2023, recently-published figures by the Department of Transport calculates the far-reaching financial impact of these collisions to be in the region of £208 million.

The DfT calculate the average cost of a fatality in a road traffic collision to be in the region of £2.4million, which is based on the cost on the healthcare system, the emergency services, and infrastructure, alongside lost productivity and increased insurance premiums. These figures include immediate medical expenses and property damage, and long-term healthcare needs.

The average cost of a serious casualty is £271,000. Slight injuries cost an average of £21,000 per casualty.

Cllr Pryor added: “The personal impact of these tragedies is often profound and immeasurable, and understandably overshadows the wider impacts.

“Yet even collisions which cause slight injuries have a wider cost to society, and considering the number of incidents on our roads we need to be mindful of everything we can do as a community to reduce these so that everyone is safer.”

As part of its Vision Zero ambition, the council is committed to implementing comprehensive road safety measures. These include: 

·       Enhanced infrastructure: Improving road designs to reduce accidents. 

·       Education and awareness campaigns: Promoting safe driving behaviours and pedestrian safety. 

·       Speed reduction measures: Implementing speed limits and traffic calming measures. 

·       Data-driven analysis: Utilising data to identify high-risk areas and target interventions.

To further strengthen road safety efforts and build a safer Leeds for everyone, individuals and organisations can sign the West Yorkshire Vision Zero pledge. By committing to safe road use, we can collectively contribute to a safer future for all.