Ross Lydall23 July 2021
The number of Londoners injured in road crashes halved in areas with low traffic neighbourhoods, it was revealed on Friday.
The first city-wide study found a dramatic improvement in road safety following the introduction of more than 70 LTN schemes last year to encourage walking and cycling during the pandemic.
It found that, inside the LTNs, the average number of casualties between October and December each year fell from 81 before their introduction to 35 in the same three months last year.
Compared with casualty rates elsewhere in London, there was a drop in injuries equal to a ratio of 0.51.
Pedestrians were the biggest beneficiaries inside LTNs, with the number of injuries – based on police data – falling from 30 to three.
There was also a big reduction in the number of car drivers or passengers being injured in crashes, down from 21 to six.
But there was not a “statistically significant” drop in the number of cyclist injuries. This fell from 18 to 17, though against a 10 per cent Londonwide increase in bike casualties.
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