THE number of fatalities on Warwickshire’s roads have plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic compared to the same period in 2019.
The figures from the start of the calendar year to end of July showed six fatalities on the roads compared to 22 for the same period last year – a drop of more than 350 per cent.
Road usage for that period has been estimated to be at around 40 per cent of its average in other years.
The county council’s portfolio holder for transport and planning, Councillor Jeff Clarke, said: “The fall in road deaths is one of the few positives to have emerged from the pandemic and it is something that we will look to build on.
“Clearly much of the reduction is down to the reduced level of road use and we would not expect such a low presence of vehicles on our roads to continue as the county looks towards economic recovery.
“People will need to travel to and for work. We are working, as ever, to ensure that our highways infrastructure is as safe as possible.
“But these figures do give an indication that reduced road use does make roads safer so I would hope that it might inspire people to look at alternatives to the car for some of their journeys.
“As children return to schools next week, this could be an opportunity for them and parents to look at active travel, cycling and walking, as an alternative to driving.
“We offer a range of advice on how to do that so parents can plan their children’s journeys to school by foot or by bike. I encourage anyone who can to look at this as a healthy option that will help to continue the trend of safer roads.”
For further information on active travel to school, go to www.warwickhire.gov.uk/activetravel
