Global Survey's Good News For Uk Motorcyclists

By Author: Adam Lee
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New survey of 33 countries shows that a 23 per cent decline in motorcycle accidents helped the UK achieve the lowest road fatality rate

UK motorcyclists will be glad to know that a new international report has concluded that they are driving on the safest roads in the world.

Surprisingly, it is a French, rather than a British, company which has compiled the report. Paris-based International Transport Forum analysed data taken from 33 countries before publishing findings which found that the UK had the lowest road fatality rate in 2009 (3.8 deaths for every 100,000 inhabitants).

The UK's next nearest competitors in the global road safety league were the Netherlands and Sweden who both recorded a rate of just 3.9 deaths for every 100,000 inhabitants.

Germany (5.1) and Ireland (5.4) both performed impressively, with Australia, Japan, Spain and France joining them in the top half of the table.

US motorcyclists might be concerned that, with a rate of 11.1, their country has a track record superior to only six countries in the survey.

Cambodia, Greece, ...
... Argentina and Malaysia (with a staggering 23.1) prop up the table, prompting the report's authors to point out that "90 per cent of road deaths occur in low or middle-income countries".

It is a statistic which will be keenly noted by organisations such as the United Nations, which has earmarked 2011-2020 as being the Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Perhaps other countries could follow the UK's lead on road safety; the report also found that motorcycle accidents on our roads were down 23 per cent in 2009, despite the fact that there was a 45 per cent rise in motorcycle traffic during the year.

But it would be dangerous to become complacent about taking care on our highways and byways in a world which places an ever-higher emphasis on getting from A to B more quickly.

Taking road safety for granted could well lead to a rise in the rate of motorcycle fatalities - a trend which was witnessed in 13 out of the 29 countries tracked by the study during the decade 2000 to 2009.

Finland and Slovenia endured the most dramatic rises in the number of fatal motorcycle accidents during this time-span (170 per cent and 100 per cent respectively).

International Transport Forum Secretary General Jack Short said: "Reducing fatalities around the world will be accelerated by rapid and effective transfer of knowledge, good practice and information from the best performing countries."

It is clear that the UK is one of these "best-performing countries", but motorcycle-related injuries are still all too common which is why personal injury experts offer such a vital service for people who have suffered injuries on our roads through no fault of their own.

One such expert is Claims Direct, a company which uses lawyers specialising in the field of bike injury compensation.

Claims Direct's friendly and professional staff can give honest, straightforward advice about motorcycle injury claims, ensure you receive adequate treatment for your injury or illness and get your compensation as quickly as possible - offering a reassuring safety net as the Decade for Road Action Safety approaches.
About Author:
Claims Direct are a No Win No Fee Solicitors.
We specialise in personal injury claims involving road accidents, as well as motorcycle injury claims