Number of people killed on London’s roads falls to lowest level on record

The number of people killed on London’s roads fell from 131 in 2017 to 111 in 2018 – the lowest level on record. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that while this was welcome news, “even one death or serious injury is one too many,” and pledged to continue striving to eliminate road deaths through the Vision Zero Action Plan.

Transport for London (TfL) casualty statistics show that people walking, cycling and riding motorbikes accounted for 80 per cent of fatalities last year.

The number of pedestrians killed fell from 73 to 56, which amounts to 50 per cent of all deaths.

There were 12 people killed while cycling with a further 770 suffering serious injuries.

TfL said it would continue to focus efforts on making streets safer for those most at risk.

Serious injuries increased by five per cent overall, bringing the total number of people killed or seriously injured to 4,065.

The figures come a year after the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) launched Vision Zero, which aims to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from London's streets by 2041.

As part of the plan, Khan has pledged to push 20mph roads and recently held a consultation on plans to reduce speed limits on TfL roads in Central London.

He also claims to have doubled the amount of protected cycling infrastructure built in the capital – although former cycling commissioner Andrew Gilligan has previously accused him of presiding over the construction of a “fake cycle network,” arguing that in many areas little has been done beyond adding Quietway signs to roads to claim them as new routes.

There have also been issues delivering several new cycle routes.

Last month, the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) announced it would not support a planned cycleway along Holland Park Avenue and Notting Hill Gate, even while a public consultation into proposals was still ongoing.

In February, the Court of Appeal upheld a High Court decision which found in favour of the City of Westminster which had sought to block the planned Cycle Superhighway 11 from Swiss Cottage to the West End.

Earlier this week we reported how TfL is looking to tackle this problem by taking control of roads where boroughs are blocking cycling infrastructure.

Commenting on the casualty statistics, Stuart Reid, Director of Vision Zero at TfL, said: “2018 saw the lowest number of deaths on record, but we cannot rest on our laurels. It is not acceptable for even one person to die or to be seriously injured on our roads and we are working tirelessly with our partners to reach our Vision Zero target.

“We’re calling on everyone across London to take care while travelling and look out for each other, as safe behaviours can save countless lives and prevent families, friends and entire communities of people from experiencing this unnecessary suffering.”

Working with the police, TfL says it will ramp up enforcement against drivers who cause risk on the road by speeding, using a mobile phone, driving carelessly or in unsafe vehicles.