Road deaths and injuries equivalent to population of Woodstock

ROAD safety experts from Oxfordshire County Council have revealed that the number of people killed or injured on Oxfordshire’s roads in 2007 was the equivalent of the population of Woodstock.

Although the overall figure of 2,605 for those killed, seriously and slightly injured is a reduction on previous years, and part of a long-term downward trend, the county council says that it believes that by describing the statistic as the equivalent of a well known and loved town in the county they can drive home their road safety message.

Thirty four people were killed in 2007 with 330 seriously injured and 2,241 sustaining slight injury.

In 2000, Government set national casualty reduction targets to be met by 2010.

A statement issued today, says: “Data has been regularly reviewed at national and local level, and in 2006 the county council was so confident of reaching the Government 2010 target it set enhanced targets within its own Local Transport Plan, and is making progress towards achieving these.
“Interpreting performance requires caution, with quite high levels of year to year variation in casualty numbers. However the long term trend is downwards.

Recent years:

The long term trend is as follows:

Year Total

2000 3,439

2001 3,398

2002 3,334

2003 2,962

2004 2,633

2005 2,859

2006 2,935

2007 2,605

“The Government’s target for people killed or injured on Oxfordshire’s roads was for the numbers to be driven down to 3,052 by 2010 – a figure that is being repeatedly met. Oxfordshire County Council’s own target is 2,468 by 2010.”

Geoff Barrell, Road Safety Team Leader, Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The county council?s Road Safety Team is continuing to work hard on achieving further reductions. We coordinate the very wide range of measures carried out by the county council itself, from engineering schemes at accident problem sites to providing targeted education, training and publicity for the public. We also work closely with the Police, Health Service and other agencies.”

Councillor Ian Hudspeth is Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and a Woodstock county councillor. He said: “I’m pleased that there is a slow and steady decline in the number of people who are killed or injured on the county’s roads.
“Our road safety team and partner agencies have worked hard together to encourage those reductions. However, when you hear that the amount of people killed or injured last year was the equivalent of the population of Woodstock you realise the extent of the problem.”