This paper examines information on accidents generally, transport accidents, and road accidents. There were about 14,000 accidental fatalities per year in Great Britain between 1982 and 1991, of which 38% were in road accidents, 36% were in the home, and 26% were elsewhere. Transport modes other than road account for just over 2% of accidental fatalities. Accidental fatalities per head fell by about 2% per year during the decade. Transport in general, including even the relatively safe modes, has relatively high risks per hour compared with other everyday activities, such as being at home or at work. Therefore concern about transport safety seems justified. The safest modes per hour for passengers are bus and rail, but there are many more fatalities to non-occupants than occupants involving these modes. The unprotected road users - pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeled motor vehicle users - have the highest risks per hour. The risk per year of having a fatal accident of any kind is about three times greater for people over 65 than for the population as a whole. The main reason for this is that the risk of a fatal accident in the home, particularly due to a fall, rises sharply with age. The risk of having a fatal road accident is also higher for people over 65 than for the population as a whole, though more modestly so. The main reason why road fatalities per head rise with age is not that older people have a higher frequency of road accidents, but that the consequences of road injuries are more serious. It has been estimated that the same physical injury is about three times more likely to be fatal to a person aged 70 as to a person aged 20. (A)
Samenvatting