Lib Dems claim road accident costs 'grossly underestimated'

According to research unveiled by the Liberal Democrats today, the government has ignored the full extent of road deaths and casualties by "grossly underestimating" the number and cost of road traffic accidents.

The party – which won the Brent East by-election last week – claimed that every year around 250,000 road casualties were not being recorded by the police, leaving the government's figure for the total cost of accidents £13.5 billion short. Road accidents are costing Britain more than £30 billion every year, the Lib Dems say.

Speaking ahead of the Safer Roads and Streets For All motion to the party's conference, Don Foster, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, said: "Every day 10 people die on our roads, causing immeasurable grief and damage to families. The annual cost to the NHS of road traffic accidents is over £1 billion. Accident prevention could save enough to pay for over 230,000 hip replacement operations.

"Despite the government's Road Safety Strategy, it continues to ignore the full extent of underreporting. And that means allocating fewer resources for important road safety measures.

"Today, Liberal Democrats are calling for a fully coordinated approach to road safety which acknowledges the full picture. Only when we know the full extent and cost of road accidents can we take the right measures to tackle road deaths, creating safer roads and streets for all."

(gmcg)