Number of people killed or seriously injured on South Yorkshire roads fell by 31 % in 2020
The number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads in South Yorkshire fell by 31% in 2020 figures from the Department for Transport show.
The fall coincided with traffic volumes dropping by 20% in the county because of the two national lockdowns that were caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
30 people were killed on the roads in South Yorkshire last year and the boss of the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership is reminding people of the need to travel safely when traffic levels increase as the country moves out of lockdown.
Joanne Wehrle said: "For every death on our roads, there is a family suffering the unbearable loss of a loved one and we cannot underestimate the impact this loss will have on them for the rest of their lives. "Our thoughts go out to those families and as a partnership, we will continue to do as much work as possible to prevent further loss on South Yorkshire’s roads. "Even though Covid had forced us to change the way we work, our aim remains the same: to make our roads as safe as possible and to prevent further unnecessary loss."
Today’s Department for Transport casualty statistics shows that a total of 2,644 people were injured in a collision in South Yorkshire in 2020 an 18% decrease from 2019. The figures also showed that the risk of injury to cyclists fell by around 50% despite there being more bikes on the roads. "The reduction in the number of casualties is very much consistent with the impact of lockdown on traffic volumes on our roads,” added Joanne. "We’d like to thank all those members of the public who followed Government advice and stuck to the essential travel restrictions. "By keeping our roads clear, you, without doubt, helped to save lives and protected our NHS at a time of unprecedented demand." Superintendent Paul McCurry, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "It is positive that in South Yorkshire in 2020, overall casualty numbers reduced by 18 per cent. "However, we must take into account that this period includes a number of national lockdowns which resulted in much less traffic on our roads. South Yorkshire Police continues to promote road safety and target areas of concern which are known hotspots for serious collisions."