Transport for London (TfL) has released a report on the disparities of road danger and casualties within Greater London. The research combines the national STATS19 collisions dataset (2017-2021), Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) information, and Office for National Statistics (ONS) census data to understand the impact of deprivation, sex, age, and mode of transport on casualty risk rate and casualty location rate. The report found that twice as many people were killed or seriously injured per kilometre of road network in the most deprived 30% of London compared to the least deprived areas.
The report also examines the casualty rate and casualty location rate and the demographic characteristics of those injured. It highlights the geographical areas of higher casualty location rate and those residents and communities who are at a higher risk of harm on London’s road network. The overall casualty rate and casualty location rate have decreased over the analyzed period (2017-2021), except for an increase in rate observed from 2020 to 2021 due to the pandemic recovery.
Other significant findings include the impact of deprivation, sex, and age on casualty rates. Men have double the rate of fatal or serious injuries per thousand residents than women living in the most deprived 30% of London. The 16-30 age group has the highest casualty rate, followed by the 31-59 age group. Young men (aged 16-30) living in the most deprived 30% of London, riding motorcycles, have the highest killed or seriously injured rate.
This report helps TfL in planning to achieve its Vision Zero ambition to eliminate death and serious injury from the London transport network by 2041. The insights from this report will also help TfL to focus on reducing harm to those most at risk by prioritising investments, scheme and program planning, and engagement, education, and communication with those impacted by road danger.
