A letter in today’s Times, from Douglas L Stewart of Aberdeen, claims that the removal of guard railings from roads in London caused pedestrian casualties in London to “escalate” four times faster than normal.
 
The claim is nonsense. The last figures from Transport for London, published in June, show that in 2009 fatal accidents to pedestrians fell by 6 per cent, and serious injuries by 13 per cent. There was an increase in slight injuries, from 3,919 to 4,154 (6 per cent). Fatal and serious injuries to pedestrians in London are now 51 per cent below the 1994-98 average.
 
Among children under 16, who might be expected to be at most risk from railing removal, deaths fell by 69 per cent in 2009 (not a very meaningful figure, as there were only four) and serious injuries by 20 per cent. There was a two per cent increase in slight injuries, but child casualties overall were down by 3.2 per cent.