A detailed analysis of five years of casualty figures has revealed sharp variations in the risks faced by pupils across London. The top region in the country for collisions was London, which accounted for 13% of total child casualties and 22% of collisions. Axa Insurance examined 85,814 child casualties between 2006 and 2011. It then plotted the results according to location and ranked cities according to the number of children being killed or injured with 500 metres of 29,142 British schools.
The research takes into account all accidents irrespective of when they took place, so injuries could have occurred during school holidays. While the figures account for all children under the age of 16, no distinction is made between pedestrians, passengers, or cyclists.
Responding to the report, London Green Party Assembly Member Jenny Jones said:
“There will be a wide variety of reasons behind the variations in casualties, but making roads 20mph and enforcing speed limits is going to help reduce deaths and injuries wherever you live. Local authorities can do more to encourage parents out of their cars and the police can do more to stop lawless drivers. These are all simple road safety measures which the London Mayor should be making a priority. He could start by reversing the huge cut to London’s road safety budget.”