New data shows a fall in both the number of people killed and seriously injured on the Capital’s roads in 2020.
The figures, published by TfL on 24 June, show there were 96 road fatalities in 2020 – down 23% on the 125 reported in 2019.
There was a similar decline in the number of serious injuries – down 21% to 2,794.
TfL says despite the decreases, the number of people killed and seriously injured on London’s roads remains unacceptable.
It adds continued action is needed to achieve the mayor’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury from the transport network.
Lilli Matson, TfL’s chief safety health and environment officer, said: “[2020] saw the lowest number of road deaths in London on record, but we know that we cannot slow down on our Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury entirely.”
Last year saw significant changes to people’s travel habits as the Capital was placed under Covid-19 restrictions and people made fewer public transport journeys in line with Government advice.
Many more people walked or cycled for their journeys compared to 2019, with an estimated 46% increase in the number of kilometres cycled compared to 2019.
While there was a 12% increase in the number of people killed or seriously injured cycling, the estimated overall risk to people cycling decreased, with six deaths recorded per billion kilometres cycled, compared to eight in 2019.
Fewer people were also killed while walking in 2020, with a 34% reduction compared to 2019 data.
More comprehensive data of the estimated injury risk across all transport modes will be available later in the year, once journey data for 2020 has been published.
Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, said: “Walking and cycling has boomed during the pandemic, and the work we’re doing to make London’s roads safer is having an effect, with the lowest number of road deaths in London on record last year.
“However, any tragic death from a collision is one too many, and there is still an unacceptable risk for many road users, particularly from cars. This highlights the importance of a green, sustainable recovery from the pandemic.
“We will continue to work with TfL, the police and the boroughs to better embed our Vision Zero strategy into every decision we make, making it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle around our city.”
30 June 2021