Road traffic injuries in Rochdale below North West average

Between 2006 and 2008, on average 850 people per year were injured in a road traffic collision in Rochdale, a directly standardised rate of 420.84 per 100,000 population, according to figures published by The North West Public Health Observatory.

This is significantly better than the North West average of 469.36.

Of these 850 casualties, on average 74 were killed or seriously injured, and on average, each year there have been 136 pedestrian casualties. The former was significantly different to the regional average; however, the latter was around the same.

Casualties were injured in a total of 601 collisions per year in Rochdale.

A total of 108 children aged 0-15 years were injured in road traffic collisions in Rochdale per year and of these casualties, 10 were killed or seriously injured.

There were 212 hospital admissions of Rochdale residents per year, of these admissions, 55 were for children aged 0-15 years, as a result of a road traffic collision.

The North West Public Health Observatory has produced comprehensive data on road traffic collisions and casualties.

The report presents convincing evidence for continuing action to reduce road traffic collisions and casualties in the North West. The challenge is to reduce road traffic danger while improving population health and wellbeing.

The report is intended to support local decision making and to inform the development of local plans, to reduce the risk of injury and death from road traffic collisions and to protect the health of people who travel in the North West.

For the first time, the report brings together data from five major sources, to describe the current picture of road traffic collisions and casualties arising from these incidents across the North West and within local areas, for people of all ages and where possible for children.

The North West has the highest rates of all age and child road casualties in England.

A spokesperson for Rochdale Borough Council’s highways partner, Impact Partnership, said: “We welcome the Public Health Observatory’s new figures which show that the casualties from road traffic collisions in the borough are generally lower on average than the North West.

“It’s the result of the long term combined work on speed restrictions, education and enforcement by ourselves, the Police, Fire Service and Drivesafe, – who operate Greater Manchester’s speed safety cameras. Thanks to this, we now have 20 mph speed restrictions in almost all residential areas which had high numbers of personal injury accidents and over 50% of schools covered by lower speed limits. We visit all schools to talk about road safety, run courses for drivers and deliver hundreds of presentations every year. Regular buckle-up and safe mobile phone use campaigns also help get the ‘road safety’ message across.

“These latest figures can only help support the case for continuing this life-saving, injury-reducing work.”