The UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) said that a 12% drop in the number of people killed on UK roads shows the effectiveness of road safety strategy.

RoSPA figures from the Department for Transport said the number of deaths on UK’s roads fell from 2,538 in 2008 to 2,222 in 2009.

The number of children killed in road accidents is expected to have dropped by 35%, and the number of road users seriously injured fell by 5%.

Cyclist deaths fell by 10% with cycle traffic levels estimated to have risen by 4%, according to RoSPA.

RoSPA head of road safety Kevin Clinton said that in the last two years UK has seen a fall in road deaths by more than 700.

“We already know there are ways in which even more lives can be saved, such as: implementing the recommendations of the North Review, especially lowering the drink-drive limit and introducing random breath testing,” Clinton said.

“Other measures include improving driver training and testing and introducing an extra hour of evening daylight all year round by switching to Single Double Summer Time,” says Clinton.