Harrow has the safest roads in UK

25/03/13

By Daniel Machin

Harrow is the safest area in London when it comes to car accidents, according to figures produced by the Department for Transport.

The borough, which is situated in the north west of the capital, has a casualty rate of 17.99 per 10,000 residents.

In comparison, the City of London has a casualty rate of 371.82 per 10,000 - meaning its residents are 21 times more likely to be injured in a car accident than those living in Harrow, even though it is only 14 miles away.

It must be noted, however, that the City's figures are skewed by the combination of a large daytime population who are not counted as residents.

Nevertheless, Harrow's record is still significantly better than many other rural and suburban areas across the country.

For example, the casualty rate in Surrey and Peterborough is 50.74 per 10,000 residents - nearly three times as high.

Harrow has introduced a host of initiatives designed to improve road safety, including ensuring every school in the borough is visited at least once a year by its road safety team.

"We run regular awareness campaigns, keeping the importance of road safety at the forefront of all our residents' minds." said Philip O'Dell, the councillor responsible for community safety in Harrow.

"Our team also carry out regular analysis of roads and junctions, and work quickly to implement necessary measures such as traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, and any speed restrictions that will help to keep road users safe."

By releasing the figures, the Department for Transport hopes that councils which aren't performing particularly well can learn from those which are. It wants to see the best practice shared across the country so that residents from all areas can benefit.

"The value of this comparison indicator is not only to inform local residents, but also get the message across to drivers in general that the roads they may consider the safest can often be the most dangerous," commented an AA spokesman.

"Populations in predominantly rural areas may be lower, but accidents when they happen can be at higher speeds and the roads less forgiving of mistakes."

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