Currently reading: Deprived children 'most at risk'

Data shows children in deprived areas four times more likely to be killed

Children are four times more likely to be killed or injured by a car if they live in a deprived area, according to a Public Accounts Committee Report from the House of Commons.

The report states that in areas with lower incomes, higher unemployment and health deprivation, children under 17 are more likely to be unsupervised on or around roads after school.

As a result, the committee has called for urgent action, recommending reduced speed limits in deprived areas and asking for changes to when and how the clocks are moved forward.

Its evidence showed that collision survival rates for pedestrians and cyclists dramatically increases when the vehicle is travelling at less than 20mph.

It also recommended switching to ‘Single Double Summer Time’ or ‘SDST’, which would give vulnerable road users, such as children returning from school, an extra hour of daylight.

George Chapman

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