Following yesterday an announcement on 28th June 2012 of the 2011 road casualty figures, road safety organisation and the number one for breakdown cover in the UK, GEM Motoring Assist expresses its grave concern over the increase in road deaths after so many years of decline.
The Department for Transport’s report shows a significant 3 percent increase in road deaths, for the first time since 2003. GEM, a member and continued supporter of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), sees the figures as a call-to-action for the Government.
David Williams MBE, CEO of GEM Motoring Assist, comments: “These figures are extremely disappointing and are a very sad reflection on how road safety appears to be considered as a low priority by the Government. It is of course impossible to point to one single cause for these increases but we believe that the absence of clear Government accident reduction targets, plus severe cuts in road safety and traffic policing budgets, have played a significant part.”
“The possible increase of motorway speed limits and the refusal to lower the Drink Drive limit also indicate very muddled thinking from the Government in terms of road safety,” David concludes.
The report also reveals that serious injuries rose by 2 percent (the first increase since 1994), car occupant deaths rose by 6 percent, pedestrian deaths by 12 percent and serious injuries among cyclists by 16 percent. For the full Department for Transport report visit http://bit.ly/N5QEIE
For more information on GEM’s great value breakdown cover policies visit the brand new website, www.motoringassist.com.
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