Government criticised as deaths on UK roads go up

The government has been criticised for a lack of leadership after the first increase in road deaths for nearly a decade.

The report by the Transport Select Committee also highlights the fact that road accidents are the main killer among 16-to-24-year-olds.

The committee calls for more help to keep young drivers and cyclists safe and to improve the design of roads.

The government says road safety continues to be a top priority.

The BBC's Transport Correspondent Richard Westcott says 1,901 people were killed on Britain's roads last year.

That is 51 more than the year before and the first rise since 2003. The largest increase is among deaths of pedestrians.

The report says the government needs to explain why the figures are going up.

Our correspondent says the coalition ditched national targets when it came to power and instead told councils to take more responsibility for road safety, but the MPs found councils have a patchy record because of budget cuts and the loss of skilled staff.

They also call "shocking" the fact that road accidents are the biggest killer among young people, and call for better driver training to help them stay safe.

Road deaths might have gone up but - with the exception of last year - the number of people killed or seriously hurt on our roads still remains the lowest since national records began.

The committee called on the Department of Transport to "name and shame local authorities that are under-performing on road safety".

Launching the report, the committee's chairman Louise Ellman MP said: "It is shocking that road accidents are the main cause of death among young adults aged 16-24 and that so many cyclists continue to be killed or injured.

"Action is required to improve road safety for young drivers, including an independent review of driver training."