You are in > manchester.com  > News > 'Downward trend' in road traffic accidents involving children

General Manchester news

'Downward trend' in road traffic accidents involving children

27/03/2008

The number of children seriously injured or killed on Manchester's road network has halved in the past seven years, according to new council figures.

There were 33 cases of a child being killed or badly hurt in a collision last year, with one fatality. This compares with 60 recorded incidents in 2000.

It means the city has nearly reached its 2010 target of reducing the number of child casualties by 55 per cent.

Councillor Neil Swannick, executive member for planning and environment, said the figures make "extremely encouraging" reading.

"While even one casualty is one too many, and there is certainly no room for complacency, the downward trend in serious accidents shows that the hard work we are doing to make the roads safer is having significant success," he stated.

The council attributes this "downward trend" to the creation of 20 mph limit zones around many of the city's schools and a large number of road safety education schemes.

According to the AA, the number of children killed or seriously hurt on Britain's roads has declined steadily for many years.

The government's target for 2010 is one-third of the level of such cases recorded in 1981.