One in five hospital trauma admissions caused by road collisions

One in five patients admitted to trauma centres last year were involved in road accidents, newly published figures have revealed.

Statistics obtained by road safety charity Brake showed that 11,486 road users were admitted with life-threatening injuries in 2016.

The area with the highest-percentage of road-related admissions was the Thames Valley, with 25 per cent accounting for traffic-caused injuries. North west London and the West Midlands both followed with 23 per cent.

Of all nationwide admissions last year, five per cent later died from their injuries sustained.

Further still, the charity analysed data covering 75,820 road crash victims during the past decade, which revealed that people aged 16-25 were the most affected group, making up 21 per cent of admissions.

As for types of road users, the most common admissions were motorcyclists, comprising 25 per cent. Drivers followed with 23 per cent, while 12 per cent were passengers.

Ben Walton, adult clinical lead for major trauma in the Severn area, said: “Road traffic incidents have a serious, often devastating impact on individuals and their families. Even if people survive, the long-term outcome can still be life-changing.

“There are many ways in which road traffic collisions can be prevented. In particular, we urge people to be mindful of the speed they are travelling.”

Jason Wakeford, director of campaigns for Brake, said: “Not only do needless road collisions cause untold suffering but they also place an enormous strain on the NHS and other public services.

“Speeding is a factor in many deadly crashes and remains a major problem. Driving is unpredictable and if something unexpected happens on the road ahead, such as a child stepping out from between parked cars, it’s a driver’s speed that determines whether they can stop in time and, if they can’t, how hard they will hit.”