The number of people killed on Britain's roads has fallen dramatically, the latest Government figures have shown.
400 people died in road accidents between April and June this year -- an 18 per cent reduction on the figure of 487 from last year.
The number of people killed or seriously injured (KSIs) fell 6 per cent to 5,970, while the number of people receiving slight injuries in accidents fell by 7 per cent to 47,800.
The fall in road fatalities will be welcome news for the Government, after a rise in road deaths last year was blamed on cuts to road safety spending.
However, the Department for Transport has admitted that the reduction in fatalities could have been due to the poor weather earlier this year.
The rain we experienced over the summer is believed to have deterred road users -- especially vulnerable road users such as cyclists -- from venturing out, leading to a reduction in the number of accidents.
Neil Greg, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "In the six months before these results there were increases in the numbers killed and seriously injured. This drop has not made up for that.
"We need to do much more to turn this quarter's figures into a trend. Upgrading roads, targeted safety campaigns and measures to improve road user awareness among new drivers are needed too."
