Rise in deaths and serious injuries on Doncaster roads 'sobering' and 'deeply concerning'

Whole year figures for 2019 revealed the first rise in several years in all incidents involving injuries – and an increase of more than 20 per cent for the most serious injury incidents.

South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership figures show in Doncaster, the number of injuries suffered on the roads has generally been falling for 20 years. But in the last complete year, 2019, they showed their first rise since 2015. up from 798 in 2018 to 897 in 2019.

The figures for incidents where people were killed or seriously injured has risen every year but one since 2015, from 106 in 2015 to 251 last year. The number of injuries classed as serious was raised in 2016, but the 2019 figure was still up from 208 in 2018.

Of those hurt or killed last year, 624 were in cars, and 104 were pedestrians. Another 61 were cyclists and 56 were on motorbikes. Of those who died, 131 were in cars, 50 were pedestrians, 21 were cyclists and 32 were on motorbikes.

Doncaster North and Doncaster Central MPs Ed Miliband and Rosie Winterton issued a joint statement raising their concerns.

They said: “The figures on road safety are deeply concerning.

"Hickleton and Marr regularly witness very serious accidents and road safety in these, and other areas, needs to be improved. Many constituents have contacted us in regard to the need of better road safety measures and speeding vehicles, particularly in the Balby and Wheatley areas.

"We have repeatedly raised issues around specific areas with high numbers of accidents and dangerous driving. National government now needs to provide the investment for South Yorkshire so we can improve the safety on our roads and offer people reliable public transport alternatives. ”

Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher described the figures as sobering.

He said: “I find these figures sobering and my heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by these accidents. Road safety is a subject I am concerned about and I shall continue to urge everyone, all road users, drivers and pedestrians to act safely and behave responsibly.

"When driving, do not speed! I often receive correspondence from local people across Don Valley who are concerned about road safety and speeding. I am aware about the grief and devastating impact it has on people and I know the police and other local agencies take speeding seriously. I believe with the correct changes to behaviour we can curb the rise in accidents and thus reduce the number of injuries and deaths.”

Doncaster Councill’s assistant director for economy and environment, Gill Gillies, said: “In 2016, the definition of a “serious” injury was changed and more injuries are now classified as such. Fewer injuries are therefore now classified as ‘slight’, and the trend for the overall number of casualties has been significantly reducing since the early 2000s, despite increases in traffic volumes over the years.”