Comment on 2014 road casualty statistics published this morning - "A new national strategy on road safety cannot come soon enough"

RAC chief engineer David Bizley said: “These figures will make for disappointing reading by the Government, road safety professionals and the general public; it does appear that the days of annual reductions in road casualties now appear to be well and truly over.

“The rise in the numbers killed or seriously injured among the pedestrian, cyclist and older age groups is of significant concern. The 17% rise in over 60s killed on our roads, the largest increase of any age group, is a timely reminder of the challenges of dealing with an ageing population, that need to be tackled – not just in terms of older drivers, but also what measures can be taken to keep older pedestrians and cyclists safe on increasingly busy roads.

“National efforts to tackle road safety appear to be stalling, after decades of progress in reducing the numbers killed or injured on the roads. A new national strategy on road safety cannot come soon enough. These figures serve to highlight just how pressing the need is for road safety to be given the political focus it clearly so desperately needs.

“The national picture also masks significant local disparities – some London boroughs have witnessed shocking increases in road casualties, with Waltham Forest seeing a 50% increase in casualties year-on-year.”