Road accidents to rocket during summer
Recent figures from the insurance provider, AA Insurance revealed that the number of road casualties have fallen by 8 per cent from the last 12 months.
Simon Douglas, director of the insurance provider stated that he was not surprised by the fall.
He said: "This year has seen fuel prices rise along with other demands on family budgets as well as rising levels of redundancy, all of which discourages car use: indeed, the Department for Transport notes that traffic volumes fell by 2 per cent over the year."
However, despite this, the number of road accidents is now expected to soar within the next few months.
With the hot weather back in England, more people are out and about, visiting theme parks, beaches, or other places across the country as a bid to make up for not being able to travel abroad as a result of the financial downturn.
Research conducted by Travelodge found that just some 27 per cent of British holidaymakers will be travelling abroad this summer as "staycations" prove to be more popular during the credit crisis.
Paul Harvey, managing director of Travelodge stated: "With the Met Office predicting glorious weather and a majority of holidaymakers looking to stay at home, this year the resorts and destinations of the UK will be jam-packed with British tourists."
And as a result, there will be an increase in the number of vehicles travelling across Britain's roads at any one time, resulting in a growth in the number of road accidents.
However, it's not just theme parks and beaches that are attractive to Brits during the summer weather, more people are expected to take advantage of the heat by having barbeque parties and consume more alcohol.
Previous research by insurance provider, Direct Line revealed that an increasing number of Brits are tempted to resolve in drink driving as a bid to cut taxi costs during the recession.
A survey from the firm found that 1.3 million motorists in the UK are lured into driving under the influence of alcohol to avoid having to fork out the cost of a taxi.
Maggie Game, head of Direct Line Car Insurance, said: "It's worrying to see the number of people who would drink and drive because they feel saving a few pounds outweighs the risk to themselves and others."
As a result, Chief Inspector Ian Wallacethe, head of Grampian Police force's Roads Policing, is urging motorists to be careful during the summer as they are given more opportunities for social drinking.
He said: "After an evening out when you have consumed alcohol there are various alternative methods of getting home rather than driving and our advice remains the same - don't take the risk, don't drink and drive."
"The 'feel good factor' during the summer can lead to some road users forgetting just how vulnerable they are and it essential that everyone maintains their levels of concentration and not let their driving or riding standards slip," he added.
Updated on 8/16/2009