Archived press release

Six million kids at risk from too much traffic

23 January 1998

New figures released today reveal that more than six million children are at risk because there is too much traffic on our roads. The shock findings are based on research by Dr Ian Roberts, Director of the Child Health Monitoring Unit at the Institute for Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Dr Roberts has written to every MP in support of the Road Traffic Reduction Bill, a private members bill from Cynog Dafis MP, due to be debated in Parliament on 30th January. His figures show:

• child pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions are the major cause of death for children aged between 1 and 14 years old, with an average of 185 deaths and 4,000 serious injuries every year
• when traffic volume is cut there are major reductions in child pedestrian death rates
• children in social class V are at five times greater risk than those in social class I
• children now walk and cycle less than they used to: between 1985 and 1992 the average distance walked by children aged under 14 fell by 20%, and average distance cycled fell by 26%. This is a major factor in declining physical activity amongst children and therefore rising levels of obesity.
  
  

The new figures are published on the same day as an important statement from the British Medical Association supporting the Road Traffic Reduction Bill, and pointing out that too much traffic on our roads leads to the “social exclusion” of children, young people and those without a car.

The figures also confirm the findings of a recent study of road traffic accidents in Edinburgh, which shows that “young people from the 15% most deprived areas of the city were almost eight times more likely to be knocked over than children living in the richest 15%”. There are 6.7 million children aged between 5 and 14 in Britain. and nine in ten of them live in urban areas. The Edinburgh study suggests that 940,000 of them could be in the highest risk category for traffic accidents.

Ron Bailey, Friends of the Earth Parliamentary Officer, said today:
“These figures show the shocking truth about the risks our children run because of excess traffic. And the poorer the family, the more danger the children are in. This is another powerful argument in favour of the Road Traffic Reduction Bill. It is surely past time for the Government to announce that this crucial piece of legislation has its support.”

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust