Croydon is among the worst boroughs for dangerous drivers and reckless hit-and-run incidents, according to a report published by a London Assembly Member.
Car crash: new data shows that casualties from hit-and-runs are on the increase in Croydon, too
In 2021 (the last year for which official figures are available) there were 316 casualties of hit-and-runs recorded in Croydon – almost one for every day of the year.
Only five other boroughs – all inner London boroughs – had more hit-and-runs in that year.
Neighbouring boroughs Bromley (134) and Merton (142) had less than half the incidences of hit-and-runs as Croydon. Sutton, with 104, had less than one-third.
Inside Croydon reported in 2022 how Croydon had more road collisions than any other outer London borough. This latest data confirms that unwanted status, and if anything, suggests that Croydon’s roads have just become ever more dangerous.
There was a total of 7,708 casualties of hit-and-runs recorded on the streets of London in 2021 – more than double the figure for 10 years earlier.
“This apparent increase in irresponsible and dangerous driving on our roads is very worrying,” according to Assembly Member Caroline Russell in the introduction to her report, which lays out the persistent, terrifying rise in hit and run casualties across London over the past two decades.
Black spots: Croydon is among the worst London boroughs for casualties caused by hit-and-runs
The Green Party AM’s report also points out the glaring inconsistencies in the Mayor’s reporting of the data, ranging from failing to include nearly 80% of the hit-and-run data in 2016, all the way to omitting the borough of Bexley entirely in 2020 (Bexley has a population of almost one quarter of a million people).
Russell says that a lack of timely responses from the Mayor and his officials, with response times to questions from Assembly Members sometimes stretching to nearly a full year, has resulted in “an extended lapse in proper scrutiny”.
Russell said: “Hit-and-run is a crime with sometimes devastating consequences, so it is shocking that the number of victims continues to rise.
Road map: Green Party AM Caroline Russell has a plan to improve road safety
“In 2021 there were more than 21 people each day being injured on our roads by people without the decency to stop to check for their well-being, and the Mayor does not even properly record it.
“Every Londoner should be concerned that the number of victims of hit and run crashes has more than doubled since 2009 when the first data was collated.”
Russell has called on Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police to tackle what she describes as “this escalating crisis”.
Read more: Official: More car crashes in Croydon than anywhere in London
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ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SEVENTH successive year in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
The number of hit & runs per borough don’t really mean a lot as the sizes of boroughs widely varies, as do the number of roads they contain. What should be the criteria for deriving the statistics should be based on the total length of roadways in each borough.
Which most people realise and understand. But if you consider that part of the complaint is that the statistics that have been made available are incomplete, then it is at least a starting point to consider the data that is available.
And it doesn’t matter how many miles of road Croydon has, there are still more than 300 drivers out there who in 2021 left behind casualties of their hit-and-runs.
Thank goodness Croydon removed safety barriers for cyclists.
My wife witnessed two children being hit on a zebra crossing. The female driver subsequently drove off.
All the while the driver was heard by my wife communicating to her 10 yr old child in the car what had happened and her rationale for driving off. A great role model.
The police could not have given less of a $h*t about it when my wife gave them the cars registration.
Fortunately the kids were ok.
BUT – there is evidently a problem in our borough. Any form of comparison yields little when we all see it in front of us and nothing is done about it.
Something to do with the number of drivers with no licence or insurance perhaps?
Honestly Kevin that is such a small minority of drivers today. There has been an upsurge in cars being registered at other peoples addresses but even that is not very high.
I think it has more to do with a total reliance on ANPR cameras, Councils sharing “worst practice” they can get away with legally. a complete failure across the Board of of Authorities dealing with civil and criminal enforcement, and a pass the buck mentality of those in enforcement as they are told by senior managers officers to prioritise other crimes and a growth in the inconsiderate stupid and selfish and self serving idiots on the road who know they can get away with it and seek to morally justify their appalling behaviour with ”well everyones doing it.
And in the minority you have those that had someone take the test for them, someone using anothers vehicle, Someone who registered the car at anothers address without their knowledge and someone who just stole the vehicle.
But it is a trange reality when ”normal law abiding residents” feel that, what is fine for criminals driving away from crimes and other fully criminal acts – is therefore fine for them as they really need to hurry to work or drop the kids at the school and they need not worry about red lights, zebra crossings other people walking/cycling as they are just someone elses problems and really they should get a car if they want to take their kids to school and look at that bike going over the crossing if the bike can do it so can my car/van/articulated lorry/bus and its not my drive I park on – but who cares mentality. After all Insurance will cover that – but not mine cos I have’nt time to stop.
Ever tried to report a hit and run? It can take hours and if you have no supporting evidence the Police can act on it is all wasted time.
Perhaps the reality is that both Civil and Criminal enforcement have suffered huge cuts to resources and are unable to effectively police society at the levels we have become accustomed to. Many ”law abiding residents” now feel that behaviour is fine for them as no one did anything when it happened to their family member/friend.
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau say that every 20 minutes someone in the UK is hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver and that every day at least one person suffers injuries so severe they need life-long care.
The MIB estimate that around 130 people a year are killed by uninsured drivers.
They say that there is a clear link between those who choose to drive without insurance and other forms of criminality; burglaries, drug offences, violent crime.
They point out that uninsured driving has a significant economic impact, with an average of £53 being added to every single annual motor premium to help compensate victims.
Furthermore, MIB estimates all injuries caused by uninsured and hit-and-run drivers to potentially cost the economy nearly £2.4 billion a year in emergency services, medical care, loss of productivity and human costs.
So why are the government and police not tackling this scourge? It would be so easy with all the traffic cameras dotted around everywhere (except the ones cut down by the Tory-supported anti-ULEZ thugs).
Maybe the Policing Minister, Chris Philp, could explain
The Motor Insurers Bureau was set up in 1946 by Government specifically to deal with hit and run and uninsured drivers.It is a private Limited Company but it is funded by a tax on Insurance premiums. One of the reasons for funding by insurance premium was to releive the Police resource to actually tackle what each successive Government determines are offences best dealt with via the Civil courts. It also allows the Government to not have to fund this ”crime”.
The MIB (I always laugh at that ) have a growth business and quite a lot of codicils and caveats as many hit trying to claim realise.
It also does not put you back in the position you were in prior to the ”accident” as civil compensation is supposed to do. And it does not cover all your legal costs and you still get hit with a rise in your personal premiums irrespective of no claims etc.
I would very much doubt Mr Philp even knows much of that let alone would have the capacity to explain noe perhaps would he feel it was in his personal interest to do so.
He may or may not know as the Policing Minister the depths and lenghts government has gone in removing offences from Police and Criminal courts into civil legislation all with an initial priming of the funding pumps that lasted 1 year at best and the requirement for Councils to deal with the matters from then on.
If anyone feels that was not intentional they may wish to consider the correalation of why they are also getting a lot of spam call and emails and may become victims of fraud.
I think my coment to Arfur may be a bit misleading about Motor Insurance Bureau itself. They are actually trying to deal with the issues and are having quite a bit of success.
Rather than give my interpretation I attach a link for their 2022 report to Companies House. This is very valuable reading if hit and run is a burning issue for you. Or even if you want to know how they are spending the levy which was £666m in 2022. They employ over 500 people.
None of whom have a warrant card
But the fundamental issue is that Policing and enforcement of what should be a criminal offence in many cases is being left to civil bodies to deal with and therefore Prevention and deterrance are no longer tools used effectively anymore.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00412787/filing-history