Road deaths fall below 3,000 for first time

Total fatalities in 2007 were 2,943 - 7% lower than in 2006, with deaths and serious injuries down in all categories of road user except motorcyclists. Child deaths, which were down 28% in 2007, were also at a record low.

There were also fewer road accidents involving personal injury last year. The 182,115 road accidents involving personal injury represented a 4% drop on 2006. Of these, 27,036 accidents involved death or serious injury - 3% down on the previous year.

Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: "These figures are extremely encouraging. They show that for the first time since records began in 1926 the number of people killed on our roads has fallen below 3,000.

"We've cut the number of people killed or seriously injured each year by more than a third since the mid-1990s. That means almost 17,000 fewer deaths or serious injuries on our roads last year.

"But these figures make us determined to do even more. Far too many people are still dying and we will continue to do everything we can to improve road safety and further reduce the numbers of people killed or injured."