Covid Lockdown Impacts Volume of Road Traffic Accidents

Road traffic accident figures have fallen as a result of lockdown restrictions in the UK.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on many parts of society; this was also reflected in the numbers released by the Department for Transport.

In the year ending 30 June 2020, there was a 16% drop in people injured across the severity spectrum, from slight to fatal, compared to the previous year. In terms of fatalities, Department for Transport figures show 1,580 people killed in road traffic accidents in that time period, which is a drop of 14% compared to the previous year.

The impact of lockdown

The most obvious impact on these figures during Covid lockdown centres on traffic numbers, with far fewer vehicles on UK roads, particularly when stay at home orders were in place.

Even when those were eased, a working from home message was in effect, thus limiting the amount of people using vehicles to get to and from work, and lessening the likelihood of accidents.

Traffic volume fell by nearly half from April to June, inevitably reducing incidents and accidents.

Fall not found in cyclist figures

There is an inevitable vulnerability surrounding cyclists as they are exposed to vehicles moving at greater speeds, which are heavier in mass and can cause greater damage if a collision occurs.

Of all the statistics presented by the Department for Transport, the number of cyclists seriously injured or killed stood at 3,760 for the year ending June 2019, and only dropped by 40 for the year ending June 2020.

This is, in part, due to the huge rise in the number of people jumping on bikes using it as an allowed hobby and form of exercise, particularly through the Spring and Summer of the Covid lockdown.

Regional variations

The results displayed notable variations dependent on the region of the UK, with the capital’s London Metropolitan Police recording 15,711 injuries or fatalities as a result of road traffic accidents, the highest in Britain.

At the opposite end of the scale, Cleveland Police reported the lowest number of casualties following an RTA, standing at 463.

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