Recent statistics show that nearly 50 children are killed or seriously injured on UK roads every month. With more than 17 children aged seven and under dying in crashes in 2023 alone, the situation remains dire. Experts are now calling on adults to take responsibility for child safety near roads to prevent further tragedies.
Road safety charity Brake is urging increased vigilance and proactive measures to safeguard children from road dangers, with its latest analysis revealing an alarming trend in child fatalities. These findings underline the importance of education, public awareness, and policy changes to address this persistent issue.
Alarming Child Fatalities and Serious Injuries
Brake’s data, derived from the Department for Transport’s 2023 report, reveals that 17 youngsters aged seven and under lost their lives in road crashes last year. Furthermore, an additional 574 minors from the same age group sustained serious injuries. The statistics from 2022 paint a similarly concerning picture, with 20 fatalities and 552 serious injuries.
Ross Moorlock, Chief Executive of Brake, highlighted the ongoing dangers faced by children on UK roads, despite decades of safety improvements. He expressed concern over the rise in child casualties, stating that the number of youngsters killed or seriously injured in crashes has increased in recent years.
This stark reality demands urgent attention, particularly as children remain vulnerable when crossing streets or being in close proximity to traffic.
The impact of these incidents extends beyond the immediate victims, as child fatalities account for a significant portion of cases supported by Brake’s road crash victim support service.
According to the charity, approximately seven per cent of families assisted by this service are affected by child road deaths, highlighting the widespread devastation caused by these tragedies.
Brake’s Beep Beep! Day Initiative
In response to the ongoing crisis, Brake has launched the Beep Beep! Day initiative, aimed at educating minors about road safety. The program targets over 90,000 children aged between two and seven, and is delivered through schools, nurseries, and childminders across the UK.
Its goal is to instil the importance of road safety from an early age, teaching children basic habits such as holding hands with an adult when near roads, using child seats when travelling, and crossing at safe places.
This initiative comes as many families prepare for spring, a season often associated with increased outdoor activities and more vehicles on the road. The timing of the program could not be more crucial as Brake works to reduce the growing trend of child road fatalities.
Moorlock believes this educational effort provides an invaluable opportunity to initiate conversations with young children about road safety.
“As grown ups, we must always take responsibility for keeping children safe on our roads but this is a great opportunity to start conversations about road danger and help them understand why road safety is so important,” he noted.
