Children from poorer areas are far more likely to be hurt in traffic accidents, either as pedestrians or cyclists.

A study, based on NHS data of hospital admissions, shows that children from deprived areas are four times more likely to be seriously injured as pedestrians, and three times more likely when cycling.

Child deaths from injuries have declined over the past 20 years, from about 11 deaths per 100,000 children aged up to 15 in 1981 to 4 deaths per 100,000 children in 2001.

But socio-economic inequalities remain, according to a team lead by Phil Edwards, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, reporting in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The team analysed Hospital Episode Statistics from the Department of Health containing records of all child admissions during a five-year period around the 2001 census. They looked for injuries sufficiently severe to create a 1 in 15 risk of death caused by falls (the commonest), fires, poisonings and road traffic accidents.

Dr Edwards said: “For transport-related injury, our findings indicate that the most pressing policy need is to make our roads safer for young pedestrians and cyclists.

“There is evidence that reducing both the speed and the volume of car traffic would achieve this, particularly in more deprived areas, where pedestrians are more exposed.”

Serious injury rates were found to be lower for pedestrians in rural areas, and lower for cyclists in London. But they were found to be higher in rural areas for children travelling in cars. The team found evidence that inequalities in cycling injury were higher in rural than in urban areas. The rate of serious injury from children falling was greatest in London.

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