Fewer children hurt in car accidents

Fewer children have been have been involved in car accidents this year according to research by MTA Solicitors.

Analysts at the personal injury firm found the numbers of kids hurt in vehicle accidents so far this year down by 35 per cent.

High fuel prices and the impact of the recession on household finances are believed to be some of the reasons behind the significant fall in numbers as more youngsters walk to school.

MTA found that 228 children were hurt in car accidents in the first six months compared with 344 in the same period last year.

MTA’s statistics show that the most common type of injury was whiplash, closely followed by shoulder and then head injuries.

 CEO at MTA Solicitors, David Green said: “The school run is often described as one of the most dangerous times of the day to drive due to the sheer number of cars on the road.  There is also a tendency for parents to feel over-confident or become complacent at the wheel because of the short distance traveled or the over-familiarity of the route.  

“It is no secret that roads can be at their most unpredictable during the school run or rush hour.  Parents are frantically trying to get their children to school or nursery and still make it on time to work.  Family cost cutting rather than environmental issues could have been a catalyst for parents taking their children to school on-foot or car sharing, with the drop in car accidents a consequence of this.”