400 people died in road accidents from April to June of 2012, an 18 per cent drop when compared to the same period last year. The figures have been welcomed by various organisations as well as the Department of Transport, but have been tempered by suggestions that very wet weather reduced traffic and kept speeds down.

The number of cyclists on the road is also likely to have dropped due to wet weather – a demographic which has seen an increase in road accident injuries and deaths in recent years.

Figures within the government will no doubt be glad to see the death count drop, especially since the same period last year saw an increase in road accident deaths for the first time in 5 years.

There was an even more significant drop in child deaths and injuries related to road accidents, going down by 14 per cent.

But when year on year figures are taken into account, the picture is less positive. In the 12 months up to June of this year, the number of deaths or injuries in the vulnerable road user category went up by 5 per cent. This category is mostly comprised cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians

The director of policy at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, Neil Greig, commented “The drop in road casualties is really good news but the Department for Transport admits that it is likely to be linked to this year’s wet weather. We shouldn’t rely on a few months of dodgy weather to get cyclists and motorcyclists casualties down.”

At startrescue.co.uk we are always pleased to see that the environment our car, motorcycle and van breakdown cover customers use is becoming safer, but we are aware of how important it is not to be complacent, and to continue to seek ways to make UK roads even safer.