The assessment of risks to other road users requires careful treatment, but an associated casualty can be defined in a sensible and consistent way by linking the casualty with the vehicle with which he was either first or solely in collision. This association does not imply cause or fault on the part of any vehicle involved, but attempts to determine the risk posed to other road users as a result of each vehicle type's size, and pattern and level of use. Tables are presented for 1990 on: road traffic levels; casualties per injury accident; casualty rates by severity of casualty and casualty rates for vehicle users, pedestrians and associated casualty types. Casualty rates for vehicle users are generally higher than the rates for associated casualties in other vehicles, since no casualties of the latter type arise from single vehicle accidents, or in multiple vehicle accidents where collisions were with street furniture, barriers or other objects rather than other vehicles. Analysis of single and two vehicle accidents reveals very considerable differences in the vulnerability of different types of road user, with pedestrians and two wheel vehicle users sustaining many more casualties than other road users, and with users of the largest and heaviest vehicles relatively safe from injury. The user casualty rates and the rates for associated casualties in other vehicles, however, do not consistently reflect this pattern. Heavy goods vehicles had most associated fatalities, but only the fourth highest level of all associated casualties, and two wheel motor vehicles, which had the second highest level of all associated casualties, had a near average rate of associated fatalities. Mile for mile, the greatest threat of death and injury to pedestrians is posed by public service vehicles and two wheeled motor vehicles rather than the heaviest vehicles as such.
Abstract