Study confirms enhanced road risk in deprived areas

New data shows people living in London’s most deprived areas are twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured in road collisions. The report on inequalities on the road network, published by TfL on 18 April, shows that deprivation, gender, age and mode of transport all have a significant impact on the risk faced by road users.

The report finds that in London the more deprived the area, the higher the risk that someone travelling in that area will be seriously injured or killed in a road traffic collision in that area, with the 30% most deprived postcodes having more than double the number of casualties per kilometre compared with the least deprived 30%. The same is also true for people living in London’s more deprived areas who are travelling in London as a whole.

The more deprived the area someone lives in, the higher the risk they will be injured or killed in a road traffic collision wherever they are travelling in London, with people from the 30% most deprived home postcodes having nearly double the risk of people from the least deprived 30%. For all casualties, the 16-30 age group has the highest casualty risk across all modes and all deprivation levels.

Meanwhile, for all age groups, the risk is higher amongst the most deprived population.