Statistics from the Department of Transport have shown that the number of road deaths has increased in the first half of 2011. 940 deaths were reported on the roads in the first half of this year - a 6.7 per cent rise on the number of people killed on the road during the first half of 2010. The statistics have been unveiled as the Government investigates national road safety with the proposal to increase the motorway speed limit from 70 mph to 80 mph. It is believed that members of the Coalition Government broadly agree to a ten mile an hour increase in the national motorway speed limit.
The provisional figures indicated that there were 500 road deaths in April to June 2011 - a seven per cent increase on the 467 road deaths recorded for April to June 2010. The figures also revealed that there was one per cent less traffic on British roads during April to June of this year when compared with April to June of last year.
Mike Penning, the minister for road safety, maintained that Britain’s roads were amongst some of the safest in the world and claimed that year-on-year comparisons had revealed that the number of road deaths continued to fall. Mr. Penning described the number of road deaths in 2010 as “particularly low” and stated that recent quarterly figures reflected the downward trend shown over the past few years.
Duncan Lewis’ public law solicitors are able to advise clients on the legal issues surrounding speed limit rules.