The number of people being killed in car crashes on Britain's roads has fallen by 40 per cent in the past fifty years.
According to a report published in the Emergency Medicine Journal, deaths caused by car crashes fell from 1,647 in 1960 to 964 in 2009, despite a dramatic rise in the number of cars on the road.
102,196 people were killed as a direct result of road traffic accidents between 1960 and 2009, with men more likely to die than women in every year studied. Those from socially-deprived backgrounds were also more likely to die than those who were more affluent.
The number of children being killed fell too, from 66 in 1960 to 20 in 2009; however, the number of fatalities amongst the over-75s increased from 68 to 109 -- almost certainly the result of there being far more drivers in this age group on the roads now.
The reduction in the number of road deaths is thought to be down to a combination of factors, including the increased use of seatbelts, the superior crash protection provided by modern cars and clampdowns on drink-driving and speeding.
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