ROAD DEATHS FALL TO ALL-TIME LOW

Child deaths, which were down 28% in 2007, were also at a record low, the Department for Transport statistics showed.

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.

There were also fewer road accidents involving personal injury last year in figures that will hearten road safety campaigners.

The figures for 2007 showed the number of people killed in road accidents fell by 7% - from 3,172 in 2006 to 2,943 in 2007

A total of 30,720 people were killed or seriously injured in 2007 - 4% fewer than in 2006. There were 247,780 road casualties in Great Britain in 2007 - 4% fewer than 2006

Child casualties fell 7% last year. The number of children killed or seriously injured in 2007 was 3,090 - a 6% fall. Of those, 1,899 were pedestrians - 6% down on 2006.

A total of 121 children died on the roads last year - 28% fewer than in 2006. This is the lowest ever recorded figure.

In 2000, the Government announced a new road safety strategy and set new targets for reducing casualties by 2010.

Commenting on the 2007 statistics, 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."