Road deaths fall by 18 per cent, Government figures show In particular the rain is believed to have kept cyclists - whose casualty rate had been rising - off the roads. Rain is also believed to have been responsible for a fall in average road speeds during the same period The year on year figures, comparing casualties for the 12 months up to June this year with the same period a year earlier, were less encouraging. They showed an increase in the number of vulnerable road users - primarily pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists - being killed or seriously injured rising by five per cent. Overall, there was a one per cent rise in the number of people being killed or seriously injured over this period. "These figures show there is no room for complacency, even though the resumption of the downward trend in road deaths is to be welcomed," said Robert Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Committee for Transport Safety. Andrew Howard, the AA's head of road safety also sounded a note of caution. "It is always a good thing to see a fall in road deaths, but we have to be careful that this does not stem only from improvements in car and road design protecting those in cars," he said. The rises among those not in vehicles need to be stemmed and, although design can help, we still need action against irresponsible road use. Neil Greig, the director of policy at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, added: "The drop in road casualties is really good news but the Department for Transport admits that it is likely to be linked to this year's wet weather. We shouldn't rely on a few months of dodgy weather to get cyclists and motorcyclists casualties down.