How Do UK Road Accident Deaths Compare to the Rest of the World?

We read all the time about serious injury and fatalities suffered in road accidents, and there is no doubt that such incidences are an all too common part of daily life. But is the UK a particularly dangerous place to be on the roads – or to be a pedestrian in fact – or are we looking at the figures without taking into account the situation in other countries?

For the comparison to come we're not looking at minor incidents that result in a prang and a whiplash claim, we're investigating actual road deaths per 100,000 of the population. Believe it or not, the UK compares very well with other EU countries, and indeed with other major road using countries in the developed world.

Looking at the EU countries, we can see that – according to figures from the Office for National Statistics – the UK registers a yearly average of six per 100,000 of the population. This is the lowest of all in the EU member states; for example, Germany registers 9.5, Italy 11, France 14.4 and Portugal is worst of all with an alarming figure of 21 road deaths per 100,000 population each year.

When compared to the rest of the world it may surprise many to find that the UK also has a better safety record than Australia, where 9.3 per 100,000 are killed every year, Japan where the figure is 8.2, and even the USA where 15 people are killed on the roads for every 100,000 of the population annually.

Explanations may raise controversial issues, but the fact remains that the UK does have a well developed system of roads and is a comparatively safe place to drive. With a motorway system that constantly delvers very good statistical evidence of safety it may be that it is this which has the biggest influence on the situation.

Portugal has far more rural areas with less developed roads, and the same can be said of Italy and France. In terms of driving the UK is among the best places in the world, but we all know that road accidents can, and will, happen thanks to influences out of our control.

Hi, my name's Simon Tregg and I write about whiplash claims and road accidents at www.WhiplashClaims.org a UK based website in the personal injury claims sector. I also write about personal injuries, sports injuries, accidents at work and asbestos related illnesses.