1. Assessing the Impact of Suicides on the roads
Bruce Walton

2. The Background: Suicide in 2016
5,668 people died by suicide in 2016
More than triple the number of road deaths
Biggest killer in the UK for men aged 20 to 49
Response to unbearable pain
biological and psychological factors
life events and mental illness
Sensitive ‘taboo’ subject
“Suicide is everybody’s business”
Source: Samaritans

3. Action on Rail Suicides - 2016
2,233 suicide attempts on rail network in 2016/17
1,811 interventions
Around 300 fatalities
18% reduction on preceding year
Long standing cross industry prevention strategy
Partnership working
Engineering mitigation
15,000 staff trained
Active involvement in campaigning
Sources: Network Rail, PACTS

4. Action on Road Suicides - 2016
“Little is known about the extent of suicides or attempted suicides taking place on the UK road network”
“Various authorities were largely unable to provide accurate or complete data”
“Intervention strategies … are limited [to] small local suicide prevention groups”
“Action is often limited to small areas and often focused around particular roads or infrastructure”
Source: Suicide on UK Roads: Lifting the Lid (PACTS 2017)

5. Whose problem is this?
All LAs are ‘expected’ to have a Suicide Reduction Plan
Many do not (some in progress)
Some do not mention roads
Government target: reduce suicide by 10% by 2020/21
National strategy
Implementation at local level left to individual LAs
Source: HM Government

6. Research by RSA Sourcing accurate information is problematic
PACTS report correct to highlight failings
Coroners’ data has problems
Burden of proof
Location data
Scoping report published 2017
More detailed report later this year
Will include incident data from patrol officers
Highways England incident data also has problems
Outcome of incident often not reported
Personal information scant

7. Trend - All roads in England
Under reporting: PACTS estimate 50 road suicides per year
Source: RSA Suicide Scoping Report 2017

8. All regions are not equal
Relationship with deprivation
Source: RSA Suicide Scoping Report 2017

9. What actually happened?
HE incident data tells a different story – fewer bridge incidents
Source: RSA Suicide Scoping Report 2017

10. Improving the data Historic exclusion from STATS19 creates issues
Absence of centralised, detailed information
Perception that “it’s not our problem”
Non-fatal attempts are barely recorded at all
Some suicides still ‘slip through the net’ into STATS19
Possible improvements
Forthcoming STATS19 review process
Inclusion of psychosocial factors in fatal collision investigation

11. Case Study: Sweden’s Road Deaths
Source: Swedish Transport Administration

12. Swedish fatality classification
Source: Swedish Transport Administration

13. Case Study: Highways England
National Incident and Casualty Reduction Plan
Suicide Prevention Strategy
Delivery Plan
Source: Highways England

14. A Vision for the Future from HE
Source: Highways England

15. Bruce Walton