Young people and road safety
Road incidents are a major cause of injury and death for young people in Great Britain. 2010 road casualty statistics for 12–16 year olds show there were:
- 11,545 road casualties
- 43 people killed
- 3,936 pedestrian casualties (of which 15 people were killed and 754 seriously injured)
- 1,961 cycling casualties (of which 3 people were killed and 271 seriously injured)
- 3,861 car user casualties (of which 17 people were killed and 234 seriously injured)
Making young people aware of the risks and providing them with strategies to take positive actions to remain safer are important parts of their development.
However, we must not suggest that they are always at great risk near traffic and we do not want to say that the only way to be safer is to remain indoors or in cars. Walking and cycling are healthy, enjoyable activities. The challenge is to give young people the skills, understanding and confidence to deal with traffic more safely as they become independent road users.