Accidents and Injuries Among Children and Young People

This topic area covers statistics and information relating to accidents and injuries among children and young people in Hull including local strategic need and service provision. Statistical information includes hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries, and from road traffic accidents among children and young people aged 0-24 years. Additional information relating to A&E (Emergency Department) attendances and hospital admissions can be found within A&E Attendances and Hospital Admissions Among Children and Young People under Health Factors under Children and Young People.

This page contains information from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips. Information is taken ‘live’ from the site so uses the latest available data from Fingertips and displays it on this page. As a result, some comments on this page may relate to an earlier period of time until this page is next updated (see review dates at the end of this page).

The Office for National Statistics ‘back-date’ their recent estimates of the resident population once more accurate Census data becomes available. Their revised estimates were released for each local authority on the 23 November 2023. Prior to this, the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities removed their trend data which relied on resident population estimates from Fingertips (affecting trends in hospital admission rates). The majority of indicators have been updated but some of the ones affecting hospital admission rates among children have not yet been updated. Some of the statements on our website pages have been retained with the comments relating to the trend data when it was shown on Fingertips even though the trend data is not shown, and the actual values will change (in most cases slightly) once the calculations are redone using the new backdated population estimates.

Headlines

• Comprehensive, accurate data relating to all accidents and injuries among children and young people is not available as many accidents and injuries will not need hospital treatment and will be treated in primary and/or Urgent Care Centres. In addition, the availability and accuracy of A&E data is limited. Whilst the hospital admissions data is generally examined, it is recognised that this will not evidence the true impact of all accidents and injuries on children and young people.
• During 2022/23, the rate of hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries in children and young people in Hull was comparable to England among those aged 0-14 years, but statistically significantly lower for those aged 0-4 years and statistically significantly higher for those aged 15-24 years.
• The admission rates caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries had been falling in recent years for those aged 0-4, 0-14 and 15-24 years, and at a slightly faster rate of decrease compared to England. The rate also fell more sharply among those aged 0-14 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this decrease was maintained for those aged 0-4 years to reach a new low, and whilst rates increased for those aged 0-14 years between 2020/21 and 2021/22, the rate decreased for the most recent year. Among young people aged 15-24 years, there was less of a reduction between 2019/20 and 2020/21, and a slight increase in the latest year, although the rate for 2022/23 is only marginally higher than the pre-pandemic rate in 2019/20.
• During 2022/23, there were 120, 405 and 430 hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries among children and young people aged 0-4, 5-14 and 15-24 years respectively (numbers rounded to nearest five). This represents a considerable decrease from 2010/11 then there were 265, 643 and 899 hospital admissions among children and young people aged 0-4, 5-14 and 15-24 years respectively.
• There is significant research and evidence of the association between deprivation and higher rates of hospital admissions in the most deprived areas. This was evident in local data analyses completed from 2015/16. Nationally, there is also a higher rate of road traffic accidents among children and young people living in more deprived areas.
• The rate of emergency hospital admissions among children and young people aged 0-24 years for pedestrians, pedal cyclists and motorcyclists is considerably higher in Hull compared to England, with emergency hospital admissions for car occupants lower. This is not particularly surprising as urban areas will tend to have higher rates of accidents for pedestrians and pedal cyclists as there will be more pedestrians and pedal cyclists using the local roads in cities.
• For 2016-20, the rate of fatal, serious and slight casualties among those aged 0-24 years is higher in Hull compared to England. People in Hull can report their non-injury road traffic accident online, directly to Humberside Police which may mean that a higher percentage of road traffic accidents that occur are reported.
• Over the five-year period 2016-20, there were nine children and young people aged 0-24 years who lived in Hull who were killed on the roads and an additional 267 who were seriously injured on the roads equating to an average of around 55 per year. There were an additional 1,220 children and young people aged 0-24 years who were slightly injured on the roads equating to an average of 244 children per year.
• The number of children killed or seriously injured on the roads reduced considerably between 2017-19 and 2020-22 among children aged 0-5 years and young people aged 11-15 years likely associated with the pandemic, but there was no such reduction among those aged 6-10 years.

The Population Affected – Why Is It Important?

More than one million children under the age of 15 experience accidents in and around the home every year in the UK which result in attendance at their local A&E.

From the report on Preventing Unintentional Injuries: A Guide for All Staff Working With Children Under Five from the The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England) and the Child Accident Prevention Trust:

• Choking, suffocation and strangulation was the leading cause of accidental death among the under fives with an average of 28 deaths each year in England, and half of children who die are aged under one year. Hospital admissions are very rare.
• Falls are the main cause of injury-related admission for under fives (20,000 per year) with most admissions resulting from falls from furniture although falls from stairs and steps are also significant. Deaths are rare with about five per year. Children under one mostly fall from beds or highchairs, or while being carried.
• Poisoning is the third most common cause of injury-related hospital admission for under fives (4,000 per year) with 70% of admissions from medicines and 20% from household or garden chemicals. Deaths are very rare. Other hazards include carbon monoxide, button batteries (and chemical burns), certain plants and e-cigarette refills.
• Burns and scalds are the fourth highest cause of hospital admission for under fives, and the injuries can be disabling and disfiguring and are expensive to treat. Hot drinks cause the majority of the injuries. Admissions peak at ages 12 to 23 months, but hot bathwater causes the most serious injuries with 21% of admissions from bathwater scalds resulting in hospital stays of more than three days. Burns and scalds also result from hot water on cookers, kettles, radiators and pipes, and hair straighteners.
• Drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death for under fives with, on average, 13 children dying each year (90% of which are aged 1-4 years). Where the cause is known, 40% of deaths are from drowning in the bath, but drowning can also occur in ponds, paddling pools and swimming pools. Hospital admissions are rare.
• Smoke, fire and flames kill four under fives each year. Smoke kills, but burns can result in very serious injuries requiring long periods of treatment. The main causes of accidental house fire (2014 to 2015) were cooking appliances and the misuse of equipment or appliances, but smoking materials lead to the most deaths. Half of house fires attended by Fire and Rescue Services were homes without a working smoke alarm).
• Seven children aged 0-4 years were killed and 231 seriously injured on the roads in 2014. Seven in ten (69%) of the children injured were pedestrians. Seven in ten children travel in incorrectly fitted car seats.

From Accidents Don’t Have to Happen report published by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in 2018, the top five causes of hospital admission (2012/13 to 2016/17) were detailed by age of the child. Inanimate forces include striking, being struck or being crushed by an object, and animate forces include striking, being struck or being crushed by a person or injured by an animal.

Top cause of admission	0-4s	5-14s	15-24s
1	Falls	Falls	Falls
2	Inanimate forces	Inanimate forces	Inanimate forces
3	Poisoning	Road accidents	Road accidents
4	Burns or scalds	Animate forces	Animate forces
5	Animate forces	Poisoning	Poisoning

The report also details the top five causes of death (2013-2016) by age of the child. Threats to breathing covers suffocation, strangulation and choking.

Top cause of death	0-4s	5-14s	15-24s
1	Threats to breathing	Road accidents	Road accidents
2	Road accidents	Threats to breathing	Poisoning
3	Drowning	Drowning	Drowning
4	Inanimate forces	Falls	Threats to breathing
5	Fire	Poisoning	Falls

The top five causes differ slightly from those stated within the Preventing Unintentional Injuries report although report similar conclusions related to the different risks related to injury. The slight differences could be because a different time period has been used, different data sources or different definitions have been used related to either injury or the cause of the injury.

From the report on Reducing Unintentional Injuries In and Around the Home Among Children Under Five Years from the The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Child Accident Prevention Trust, in the UK, accidental injuries are the most common cause of death in children under one year of age. Children under five are most at risk from an injury in the home, with boys more likely to be injured than girls.  Choking, suffocation and strangulation, falls, poisoning, burns and scalds and drowning are the most common accidental injuries among children under five years accounting for 90% of hospital admissions in the under fives. They go on to state that they are a significant cause of preventable death and serious long term harm. There is a strong association between deprivation and unintentional injuries, with children and young people living in the most deprived areas more at risk of been killed or serious injured from an unintentional injury.  For example, children living in the most disadvantaged areas have a 50% higher risk of being burned, scalded or poisoned resulting in primary or secondary care attendance than those in the most advantaged areas.

A report on reducing unintentional injuries on the roads among children and young people under 25 years by The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England) in 2018 in partnership with Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Child Accident Prevention Trust stated that although the rate of children and young people aged 0-24 years killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions have fallen in recent years, there were 69 child deaths in 2016 in England up from 54 the year before and that this was the highest number since 2009.

Their report discusses a range of other guidance on active travel, spatial planning and healthy high streets that also provide a range of actions for local authorities from overall policy to practical implementation that can improve transport and the build environment which can impact on accident prevention. They describe a four-step model to help build robust injury prevention strategies focusing on three priority areas:

• Improving safety for children travelling to and from school.
• Introduce 20 mile an hour limits and zones in priority areas as part of a safe system approach to road safety.
• Action to prevent traffic injury and improve health works best when it is coordinated.

Their report also examines the economic case for prevention. They state that the cost of road traffic accidents is high, and reference that The Chief Medical Officer highlighted that the average medical and ambulance cost to the NHS was around £14,000 for every serious injury. This excludes other costs such as accident and emergency attendances, long-term treatment, social care, social security costs and productivity losses.

Over all ages, the Department for Transport estimate that the total costs in 2020 prices are £2,948 million for fatal accidents, £4,517 million for serious accidents and £1,783 million for slightly accidents totalling £9,248 million per year across the UK. Furthermore, they estimate that damage only accidents cost £3,261 million and that there is a further £15,872 million per year in terms of cost from non-fatal accidents not reported to the police. This gives a total of £28,380 million which includes casualty-related costs (lost economical productivity, medical and ambulance costs, and human cost) and accident-related costs (police costs, insurance and administrative costs, and damage to property).

The Hull Picture

Accidents and Injuries

Comprehensive, accurate data relating to all accidents and injuries among children and young people is not available as many accidents and injuries will not need hospital treatment and will be treated in primary and/or Urgent Care Centres. In addition, the availability and accuracy of A&E data is limited. Whilst the hospital admissions data is generally examined, it is recognised that this will not evidence the true impact of all accidents and injuries on children and young people.

Hospital Admissions Caused by Unintentional and Deliberate Injuries

Hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries in children have decreased in Hull recently. For 2022/23, the hospital admission rate was in Hull for these injuries was comparable to England for children aged 0-14 years, but statistically significantly lower for children aged 0-4 years and statistically significantly higher in Hull compared to England for young people aged 15-24 years.

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips gives the total number of admission rates for unintentional and deliberate injuries to children and young people per 10,000 population.

The rate of admissions in Hull has decreased among those aged 0-4 years. The rate reduced by one-third from 2011/12 when the rate was at its highest at 167.7 admissions per 10,000 population to 2019/20 (to 124.4 per 10,000 population). There was a relatively sharp decrease between 2019/20 and 2020/21 (decreasing by 22%), which is likely to have occurred – at least in part – due to the COVID-19 pandemic. People’s behaviours changed throughout the pandemic which could have influenced the number of accidents and injuries that occurred. Furthermore, people may have been less likely to attend A&E for instance which may have reduced the likelihood of hospital admission. Over the same period of time, the decreases in England and across the region have not been as marked. However, between 2020/21 and 2022/23, there have been further relatively large decreases in the admission rate in Hull such that the rate is statistically significantly lower in Hull compared to England for the first time.

The rate has also decreased over time England and the region, but the reductions in Hull have been slightly greater over the entire time period 2010/11 to 2022/23.

Among children aged 0-4 years living in Hull, there were 120 hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries in 2022/23 which was almost one-third of the number for 2011/12 when there were 326 admissions (numbers generally are rounded to the nearest five on Fingertips).

Rates also decreased by around one-third among children and young people aged 0-14 years falling from 157.6 to 106.3 per 10,000 population between 2011/12 and 2019/20. There was a sharp decrease between 2019/20 and 2020/21 with the hospital admission rate falling by 35% in Hull. Again, this is likely to have been caused – at least in part – by the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst the rate increased between 2020/21 and 2021/22 in Hull, it has decreased in the last year. The rate is currently at the lowest it has been excluding 2020/21 which was affected by the pandemic.

A similar pattern of change has occurred for England and the region, but the reductions in Hull have been slightly greater over the entire time period 2010/11 to 2022/23.

Among children aged 0-14 years living in Hull, there were 405 hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries in 2022/23. The numbers were half as much again or more a decade ago, so there has been a substantial reduction in Hull over time.

Having seen large decreases between 2010/11 and 2014/15, the rate then remained relatively unchanged recently until 2018/19, after which the rates again decreased although there was a smaller reduction in the rate between 2019/20 and 2020/21 due to the pandemic compared to younger children. The rate remained relatively unchanged between 2020/21 and 2021/22, but has increased in the last year. With the exception of the increase in the last year, a similar pattern of change has occurred for England and the region, but the overall reductions in Hull over the entire period 2020/11 to 2021/22 have been greater (47% versus 24%), although even if 2022/23 was included, the reductions in Hull have been marginally higher than in England (42% versus 39%)

In 2022/23, there were 430 hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries among those aged 15-24 years.

With such a large relatively decrease in the admission rate during the COVID-19 pandemic, it might be expected the rates would ‘bounce back’ and increase subsequently, but this was not the case among those aged 0-14 years. Whilst there was a small change due to the pandemic among those aged 15-24 years, the latest rate is comparable to the pre-pandemic rate.

Effect of Deprivation on Hospital Admissions for Accidents and Injuries

Local data were available for 2015/16, and it was found that there was a much higher admission rate among the most deprived fifth compared to least deprived fifth of areas of Hull (35% higher for 0-14s and 23% higher for 0-4s) with significant differences across the wards (admissions of 66 in Avenue and 155 in Newland per 100,000 population for 0-14s). Among young people aged 15-24 years, there were also significant local inequalities (220 versus 107 admissions per 100,000 population for most and least deprived fifths of areas in Hull) and across the wards (admissions of 63 and 279 per 100,000 population in Boothferry and St Andrew’s wards respectively).

Type of Injury and Cause Among Under Fives

Further information is available on the type of injury from Fingertips for those aged 0-4 years. For the three year period 2018/19-2020/21, the rate of emergency admissions from falls in children aged 0-4 years is particularly high in Hull compared to England and the Yorkshire and Humber being statistically significantly higher than England. The rate of hospital admission for injuries caused by animate and inanimate mechanical forces is also higher in Hull compared to England, but not statistically significantly so. Admissions from exposure to heat and hot substances, and from poisoning in Hull is lower than England for 2018/19-2020/21.

Injuries from falls include injuries from slipping, tripping and stumbling on the same level, falls involving ice-skates, skis, roller-skates or skateboards, falls due to a collision with or being pushed by another person, falls that occurred whilst being carried or supported by other persons, falls involving wheelchairs, beds, chairs, other furniture or playground equipment, and falls on and from stairs, steps, ladders, trees and cliffs.

Injuries from exposure to animate mechanical forces include injuries caused by another person (but excludes falls due to a collision with another person), as well as contact from animals and plants which includes bites and stings, contact with plant thorns, spines and sharp leaves as well as collisions and being struck by animals, e.g. a horse). Thus this includes accidental and deliberate injuries by being hit, pushed, kicked and bitten by another person, or injuries caused by striking against or being bumped by another person, or injuries from being crushed, pushed or stepped on a person or crowd.

Injuries from exposure to inanimate mechanical forces includes crushing, lacerations and impact injuries due to inanimate objects (which includes injuries from contact with sports equipment, glass, sharp objects, powered tools and machinery, firearms and fireworks) and this category also includes foreign bodies entering the body (excluding inhalation or ingestion of foreign body where there is an obstruction of the respiratory tract – as this would fall into threats to breathing and be included under suffocation, choking and strangulation).

Rates are given as admissions per 100,000 population.

Fingertips also presents more more details among those aged 0-4 years on some of the broad causes of injury above.

However, despite presenting data for five years combined, for some of the specific causes of the injuries, the numbers are too small and are not presented for all geographical areas for this reason. Furthermore, even when rates are presented, it is best to examine the trends over time in more detail (see below) as small numbers could result in considerably year-on-year variability in the rates (see Small Numbers for more information relating to the statistical problems of presenting data where there are a small number of events).

The hospital admission rates in Hull are comparable to England for injuries resulting from falls from furniture, hot tap water scalds, burns from food and hot fluids and poisoning in that there is no statistically significant difference between Hull and England (except for burns from food and hot fluids where rates are significantly lower in Hull). However, hospital admissions were considerably higher due to inhalation of food or vomit among those aged 0-4 year olds in Hull.

Rates are given as the number of emergency hospital admissions per 100,000 population.

There has been a decrease in the emergency hospital admission rate for injuries from falls from furniture among children aged under five years with 120 such admissions during the five year period 2016/17 to 2020/21 (an average of 24 children per year).

The rate for 2016/17-2020/21 is the lowest it has been in Hull over the last nine years.

The number of emergency hospital admissions among 0-4s in Hull from injuries from hot tap water scalds is low. The numbers are not given for more recent six five-year periods from 2011/12-2015/16 to 2016/17-2020/21 as the numbers are too small to present. The numbers will be around one child per year or fewer.

The number of emergency hospital admissions among 0-4s in Hull from injuries from burns from food and hot fluids was 25 (averaging five children per year) over the five year period 2016/17-2020/21. The emergency hospital admission rate from this cause has been increasing slightly in Hull over time from 21.2 to 29.1 per 100,000 population over the last nine years.

The number of emergency hospital admissions among 0-4s in Hull from poisoning has decreased from 132.1 to 69.7 per 100,000 population over the last nine years so the rate has almost halved over this time period.

Over the five year period 2016/17-2020/21, there were 60 hospital admissions for Hull children aged 0-4 years which were due to poisoning (an average of 12 children per year).

There has been considerable year-on-year variability with regard to the emergency hospital admission rate due to inhalation of food or vomit among 0-4s in Hull over the last nine years, but the rate has been consistently and statistically significantly higher than England throughout the entire period. At its peak, the rate in Hull was almost four times higher than the rate in England.

The rate has fallen in the last three years, but is still 63% higher in Hull compared to England for the five year period 2016/17-2020/21.

Over the five year period 2016/17-2020/21, there were 20 emergency hospital admission rate due to inhalation of food or vomit among 0-4s in Hull equating to an average of four per year.

Road Traffic Accidents

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips also includes information on the rate of road traffic accidents among those aged 0-24 years. The rates are given as the number of hospital admissions or accidents per 100,000 population aged 0-24 years, and the number of hospital admissions or accidents (counts) are rounded to the nearest five.

Safer Roads Humber also provide information on road traffic accidents across the Humberside region including the number of engagement activities, maps showing all collisions (by severity) across the Humberside, and casualty statistics across Humberside. Information is also available separately for each local authority, including more up-to-date information compared to the information displayed on Fingertips (although the information below specifically relates to those aged 0-24 years) rather than all age groups as given on Safer Roads Humber.

Details of non-injury road traffic collisions can also be reported online in the Humberside Police area. It is possible that more less serious injuries are reported locally due to the ease of reporting non-injury road traffic collisions. This could mean that reported figures for Hull are higher than England if there is a higher rate of reporting of non-injury road traffic collisions.

Emergency Admissions by Type of Accident / Vehicle

Over the five year period between 2016/17 and 2020/21, the rate of emergency hospital admissions for pedestrians, pedal cyclists and motorcyclists was high in Hull compared to England and the Yorkshire and Humber region, but the rate of emergency hospital admission for car occupants was considerably lower. There will be a difference between rural and urban areas so this is not particularly surprising. In most cities, there will be many more pedestrians and petal cyclists compared to rural areas which increases the likelihood for accidents and injuries.

The rate of emergency admissions for pedestrians among those aged 0-24 years has been consistently decreasing in Hull.

Over the five year period 2016/17-2020/21, there were 65 emergency hospital admissions among pedestrians aged 0-24 years in Hull equating to an average of 13 per year.

Since 2008/09-2012/13, the rate of emergency hospital admissions for pedal cyclists decreased for the first five years, and then increased over the next four years, although the latest rate for 2016/17-2020/21 is lower than the rate in 2008/09-2012/13.

Over the five year period 2016/17-2020/21, there were 90 emergency hospital admissions among pedal cyclists aged 0-24 years in Hull equating to an average of 18 hospital admissions per year.

Over the five-year period from 2008/09-2012/13, the rate of emergency admissions for motorcyclists remained relatively unchanged for three years before increasing over the next four years. The rate has reduced slightly in the last two years, but nevertheless the rate in 2016/17-2020/21 is higher than it was nine years ago. The latest hospital admission rate is also statistically significantly higher in Hull compared to England, and this has been the case for the last five years.

Over the five year period 2016/17-2020/21, there were 70 emergency hospital admissions among motorcyclists aged 0-24 years in Hull equating to an average of 14 admissions per year.

The rates are given as the number of hospital admissions per 100,000 population aged 0-24 years in line with the other road traffic accident data within this section. However, in practice due to the legal age limits for motorcyclists, the age profile will differ for motorcyclists compared to pedestrians, pedal cyclists and car occupants.

The rate of emergency hospital admissions for car occupants has remained around 10 per 100,000 population over the last nine years, although there has been some year-on-year variability with the rate slightly higher for the five year period 2008/09-2012/13 and slightly lower in the latest five year period.

Over the five year period 2016/17-2020/21, there were 35 emergency hospital admissions among car occupants aged 0-24 years in Hull equating to an average of seven hospital admissions per year.

Injury Rate by Severity of Accident

For 2016-20, the causality rate from road traffic accidents was higher in Hull compared to England for fatalities (23% higher), serious accidents (76% higher) and slight accidents (40% higher). The rate in Hull was statistically significantly higher than England for serious and slight casualties but there was no statistically significant difference for fatalities.

Over the three five-year periods 2011-15 to 2013-17, there were two fatalities from road traffic accidents among Hull children and young people aged 0-24 years, but this has increased in the last three years. During the five year period 2016-20, there were nine such fatalities in Hull which equates to an average of two per year.

It is often difficult to interpret data when the numbers are small (see Small Numbers for more information on the statistical problems associated with small numbers) and in many cases when there are a small number of events there can be year-on-year variability. When examining the fatality rate, one accident could cause more than one fatality, and could result in an usually high number of fatalities in a single year. As the data is presented as rolling periods of time which include five years of data at a time, it means that an unusually high number of fatalities in a single year will be included for five time periods and will thus impact on the reported rate for a full five years.

There has been an increasing trend in the reported serious casualties from road traffic accidents among those aged 0-24 years having increased from 50.2 casualties per 100,000 population in 2011-15 to 68.4 casualties per 100,000 population in 2015-19, although the rate fell slightly between 2015-19 and 2016-20.

Over the five year period 2016-20, there were 267 serious casualties from road traffic accidents among those aged 0-24 years equating to an average of 53 serious casualties per year.

There has been a decreasing trend in the reported slight casualties from road traffic accidents among those aged 0-24 years falling from 371 casualties per 100,000 population in 2011-15 to 288 casualties per 100,000 population in 2016-20.

Over the five year period 2016-20, there were 1,220 slight casualties from road traffic accidents among those aged 0-24 years equating to an average of 244 slight casualties per year (a considerable fall from 2011-15 when it was on average 320 slight casualties each year).

Percentage of Accidents Occurring in 30 Mile Per Hour Zones

The percentage of road traffic accidents that involved fatalities or resulted in serious injuries that occurred in 30 mile per hour zones was much higher in Hull compared to England.

With Hull’s tight geographical boundaries (see Geographical Area for more information) and with Hull being a city, it will have a relatively high percentage of roads that are 30 mile an hour zones (as opposed to somewhere like North Yorkshire which will have far fewer roads that are 30 mile an hour roads). Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising that a relatively high percentage of accidents that involved fatalities or which resulted in serious injuries in Hull occurred in 30 mile an hour zones.

The percentages in Hull have remained relatively constant over time between 2011-15 and 2016-20, but trends over time may be affected by changes to the number of roads that are 30 mile an hour zones, for instance, over time it is likely that the number of 20 mile an hour zone roads have increased in Hull.

Killed and Seriously Injured by Type of Accident / Vehicle

The rate of pedestrians, pedal cyclists and motorcyclists in Hull aged 0-24 years who are killed or seriously injured in 2016-20 is considerably higher than England, although as already mentioned, the different types of road user will differ considerably across the Yorkshire and Humber region and across England with urban areas tending to have higher rates of casualties among pedestrians and pedal cyclists as there are more of them using the roads in Hull. The rate of car occupants in Hull aged 0-24 years who are killed or seriously injured is statistically significantly lower than England for 2016-20.

Whilst the killed or seriously injured rate among car occupants was around half that of England in Hull, the rate of pedestrians and motorcyclists that were killed or seriously injured in Hull was around twice that of England, and the rate of cyclists that were killed or seriously injured was around 3.5 times higher than England for 2016-20.

Over the five year period 2016-20, there were 85 pedestrians aged 0-24 years who were killed or seriously injured in Hull equating to on average 17 per year.

There has been a steady increase in the rate of pedal cyclists killed or seriously injured in Hull who are aged 0-24 years increasing from 11.1 per 100,000 population in 2011-15 to 17.4 per 100,000 population in 2015-19, although there has been a slight fall between 2015-19 and 2016-20. It is possible that the number of pedal cyclists that were killed or seriously injured on the roads was lower in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the five year period 2016-20, there were 66 pedal cyclists aged 0-24 years who were killed or seriously injured in Hull equating to an average of 13 per year.

There has been an increase in the rate of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured in Hull who are aged 0-24 years increasing from 31.1 per 100,000 population in 2011-15 to 43.6 per 100,000 population in 2016-20.

Over the five year period 2016-20, there were 78 motorcyclists aged 0-24 years who were killed or seriously injured in Hull equating to an average of 16 per year.

The rates are given as the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured per 100,000 population aged 0-24 years in line with the other road traffic accident data within this section. However, in practice due to the legal age limits for motorcyclists, the age profile will differ for motorcyclists compared to pedestrians, pedal cyclists and car occupants.

There has been an increase in the rate of car occupants killed or seriously injured in Hull who are aged 0-24 years increasing from 8.5 per 100,000 population in 2011-15 to 16.8 per 100,000 population in 2016-20.

In contrast, the rate of car occupants killed or seriously injured has remained around 28 per 100,000 population over the six year period from 2011-15 to 2016-20.

Over the five year period 2016-2020, there were 30 car occupants aged 0-24 years who were killed or seriously injured in Hull equating to an average of six per year.

Killed and Seriously Injured by Age of Child

The rate of children and young people aged under 16 years who are killed and seriously injured on Hull’s roads is almost double that of England for 2020-22 (30.0 versus 16.5 per 100,000 population). Whilst the rate is much higher in Hull among children aged 0-5 years being 64% higher in Hull, the rate is around three times higher in Hull among school age children compared to England.

The number of children aged 0-15 years killed or seriously injured on Hull’s roads decreased between 2008-10 and 2012-14 from 41.0 to 28.7 children killed or seriously injured per 100,000 population, and remained relatively unchanged at just over 40 injured children per 100,000 population until 2014-16 before increasing to a peak of 45.7 killed or seriously injured per 100,000 population in 2017-19.

The rate decreased back down to 36.5 per 100,000 population in 2018-20 and further decreased to 30.0 per 100,000 population for 2019-21. It is possible that the decreases in 2020 and early 2021 were due to the COVID-19 pandemic and fewer children travelling to school during the lockdowns (and the rate for 2020-22 would be most affected as this includes all the lockdown periods).

Over the three year period 2020-22, there were 48 children aged 0-15 years who were killed or seriously injured on Hull’s roads equating to on average 16 children per year. There had been 71 during the three year period 2017-19 equating to an average of 24 children per year, and it is possible that the numbers will increase in the next couple of years (without any other changes) at levels return to pre-pandemic levels.

In general, the rate of children aged 0-5 years who were killed or seriously injured on the roads has been higher in Hull compared to England. Whilst numbers are small, the difference between Hull and England has been relatively large with the largest difference occurring for 2016-18 when Hull’s rate was more than two and a half times higher than the rate in England (20.6 versus 7.9 per 100,000 population). It is possible the likelihood of accidents and injury are higher in cities compared to rural areas though.

The numbers are small so one would expect there to be year-on-year variability (see Small Numbers for more information on the statistical problems associated with small numbers).

Over the three year period 2020-22, there were five children aged 0-5 years who were killed or seriously injured on Hull’s roads equating to around two per year on average.

The numbers of children aged 6-10 years who were killed or seriously injured on the roads also varied in Hull over time increasing from 32 per 100,000 population in 2010-12 to just over 40 per 100,000 population over the period 2012-14 to 2014-16 before decreasing to around 15 per 100,000 population for 2016-18 and 2017-19. The decreased between 2017-19 and 2018-20 to 22 per 100,000 population which might be associated with the pandemic, although there has been a sharp increase to 34.4 per 100,000 population for 2020-22. The period 2020-22 covers all the lockdown periods during the pandemic, so one might have expected that the rate would have been lower with fewer children travelling to school during this period, but this is not the case.

Over the three year period 2020-22, there were 18 children aged 6-10 years who were killed or seriously injured on Hull’s roads equating to on average six children per year.

The rate of young people aged 11-15 years who were killed or seriously injured on Hull’s roads gradually reduced between 2010-12 to 2014-16 from 68 to 41 children killed or seriously injured per 100,000 population. However, there was a marked increase between 2014-16 and 2017-19 with the rate more than doubling over this three year period to 115 per 100,000 population. The rate fell between 2017-19 and 2018-20 to 88 per 100,000 population which could be associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and a reduced number of children aged 11-15 years using the roads in Hull, and further reduced to 51 per 100,000 population for 2020-22.

Over the three year period 2020-22, there were 25 young people aged 11-15 years who were killed or seriously injured on Hull’s roads equating to around 8 per year on average. However, prior to the pandemic it has been an average of 16 children per year and it is possible that the rate could increase in the next couple of years back to pre-pandemic levels.

Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Road Traffic Accidents

Analysis of the local data compared with national data has shown that in many areas of the country, the number of road traffic accidents reduced as there were fewer people travelling on the roads and fewer vehicles. However, for Hull, it has been noted that the speed of vehicles travelling on Hull’s roads increased as there were fewer cars and vehicles and less congestion. This resulted in an increase in the number of speed-related accidents in Hull. However, as road traffic usage returned to pre-pandemic levels, the number of speed-related accidents fell.

This observation might not be reflected in the hospital admission rates and casualty rates above as not all accidents will result in the accident being recorded or result in a hospital admission.

Strategic Need and Service Provision

The five priorities relating to accidents among under fives given by the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England) are drowning, choking and strangulation, poisoning, burns and scalds, and falls.

Parents and carers of children under the age of five years should be aware of the risks and dangers to young children in the home and whilst travelling, and should be given information, advice, guidance and support to reduce these dangers. These introduced risks and dangers are generally discussed during pregnancy and post-natal period through to early years by staff working across maternity and early years services, who are in a vital position to raise parental awareness and offer advice and guidance through routine and specific contacts across the maternity and early years journey.  Routine contacts including home visits provide ideal opportunities to promote accident prevention measures.

The Hull and East Riding Safe Sleeping Group promotes safe sleeping habits for babies. Other events promoting home safety are the National Play Day event and Christmas Child Safety Campaign. Free resources are also available in the form of a downloadable book looking at accidents and how to avoid them, road safety and children’s car seat safety.

The Humber Children’s Partnership Programme includes a focus on health promotion and prevention and reducing health inequalities through a system-wide approach. The Children’s Community Care (The Ill Child) project includes improving the health literacy of families across the Humber, with parents and staff understanding when and where to access advice and support services in their local community with an emphasis on self-management. The project is also developing the system response in reducing accidental injuries within the most deprived communities.

Hull City Council have also produced some Accident Prevention Videos which cover the prevention of accidents among under fives relating to poisoning, drowning, stairs, hot drinks and other hazards around the home.

Hull also has a dedicated service which focuses on unintentional injuries in children aged 0-5 years of age as well as the promotion of safer sleep practices with children up to 12 months of age.  The service provides specialist training to key professionals working with families as well as direct work with families in Hull, with the sole aim of reducing hospital admissions due to unintentional injuries and raise awareness of safer sleep practices.

The rates of pedestrian, pedal cyclists and motorcyclist casualty in Hull are higher than the England average, this is likely due to the high number of pedestrians, pedal cyclists and motorcyclist using the roads in Hull compared to rural areas., as well as the reporting system used by  Humberside Police, which allows members of the public to directly report incidents through their website, resulting in a greater likelihood of road traffic accidents being reported in Hull compared to other areas that do not have that facility.

There is growing anecdotal evidence that more children are being injured as passengers in cars in Hull, which is a trend mirroring the national trend. This is perhaps not surprising, given that car seat safety checks undertaken in Hull consistently show that around 80% of child seats are fitted incorrectly.

Road Safety services and other key partners attend the monthly Hull Birth Preparation and Parent Education ‘Hey Baby Carousel’ and provide information related to car seat safety and accident prevention information for parents-to-be. This service has been temporarily paused due to the pandemic, with plans for this to be reinstated as services across the NHS are restored.

Cycle Safety continues to be at the forefront of Road Safety starting with the provision of free Bikeability cycle training across school Years 5 (aged 9-10) and 6 (aged 10-11) across the City which is complimented by Hull City Council giving a free cycle helmet to each child that takes part in the Council’s scheme. This is complimented by an adult cycle training programme, Rusty Riders.  This is complimented with Operation Safe pass, a joint initiative between Humberside Police and Hull City Council to highlight to motorist the legal requirements to give all cyclists plenty of room when passing.

Pupils in Years 3 (aged 7-8) or 4 (aged 8-9) also benefit from Pedestrian Skills training (Green Cross Code) in all Hull primary schools.

Kid Alert is an annual initiative involving around 2,000 Year 6 (aged 10-11) children who go through a series of scenarios looking at different areas of safety. 

In relation to unintentional and deliberate injuries and road traffic accidents to children and young people aged 0-24 years, the numbers are relatively small when examining some specific types of causes of injury, and from a statistical point of view this present its own problems when presenting and interpreting the data. For further information, see Small Numbers in the Glossary.

Resources

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/

UK Government. Preventing injuries in the under 5s: https://www.gov.uk

NICE. Unintentional injuries – prevention strategies for under 15s: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph29

Royal Society for the Protection of Accidents: www.rospa.com

NHS: www.nhs.uk

Unintentional injuries prevention in children under 5 years. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unintentional-injuries-prevention-in-children-under-5-years

Reducing Unintentional Injuries In and Around the Home Among Children Under Five Years. The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Child Accident Prevention Trust. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/696646/Unintentional_injuries_under_fives_in_home.pdf#:~:text=Unintentional%20injuries%20in%20and%20around%20home%20are%20a,of%20the%20children%20aged%201%20to%204%20yearsb.

Reducing Unintentional Injuries on the Roads Among Children and Young People Under 25 Years. The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Child Accident Prevention Trust. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/695781/Reducing_unintentional_injuries_on_the_roads_among_children_and_young_people_.pdf

Child Accident Prevention Trust. https://www.capt.org.uk

Hull City Council. Accident Prevention Videos. https://www.hull.gov.uk/children-and-families/family-support/accident-prevention-under-fives

Good Egg Safety Guides. https://hull.goodeggsafety.com/

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England), Royal Society of the Protection of Accidents, and the Child Accident Prevention Trust. Reducing unintentional injuries on the roads among children and young people under 25 years. The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities, 2018.

Department for Transport. Total value of prevention of reported accidents by severity and cost element, 2020.

Safer Roads Humber. http://www.saferroadshumber.com/

Humberside Police. Collisions and Incidents. https://www.humberside.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/collisions/

Humberside Police. Non-Injury Road Traffic Collision. https://www.humberside.police.uk/ro/report/rti/rti-beta-2.1/report-a-road-traffic-incident/

Updates

This page was last updated / checked on 21 June 2024.

This page is due to be updated / checked in November 2024.