7. Casualties by Mode of Transport ( Table 6)
7.1 A provisional total of 10,596 car users were reported injured in road accidents in 2006, representing just over three-fifths of all casualties (62%: 10,596 out of 17,077). Of these people, a total of 1,415 were either killed or seriously injured, 175 of whom died. Non built-up roads accounted for a little over half of all car user casualties (55%: 5,807 out of 10,596). Perhaps because average speeds are higher on non built-up roads, they accounted for much higher percentages of the total numbers of car users who were killed (90%: 157 out of 175) or were killed or seriously injured (75%: 1,055 out of 1,415). Car user deaths in 2006 were 14% higher than in 2005, the number killed or seriously injured fell by 3%, and the recorded total number of casualties (of all severities) was 4% less than in the previous year.
7.2 There was a provisional total of 2,822 pedestrian casualties recorded in 2006: a sixth of all casualties (17%: 2,822 out of 17,077). Of these, 741 were killed or seriously injured (61 died). Perhaps because of the greater vulnerability of pedestrians, 26% of pedestrian casualties were killed or seriously injured (741 out of 2,822) compared with 13% of all car users (1,415 out of 10,596). About 95% of pedestrian casualties occurred on built-up roads (2,691 out of 2,822). Perhaps because of higher average speeds on non built-up roads, 50% of the pedestrian casualties on such roads were seriously injured or killed (66 out of 131) compared with 25% on built-up roads (675 out of 2,691).
7.3 Together, all other modes of transport accounted for a fifth (21%) of casualties in 2006 (3,659 out of 17,077) and for a roughly similar proportion of the total number of killed and seriously injured (26%: 752 out of 2,908). In 2006, 1,054 motor cycle casualties were reported (2% fewer than 2005), of whom 403 (38%) suffered fatal or serious injuries (58 died). There were 767 pedal cyclist casualties recorded in 2006, 2% fewer than in 2005. 140 (18%) of them were killed or seriously injured (10 died). A total of 753 bus and coach users were reported injured, of whom 55 were seriously injured (none died) - these low proportions presumably being due to the greater protection of their passengers by buses and coaches. The number of bus and coach user casualties fell by 12% in 2006.