Despite a national trend of decline, new research has revealed a slight uptick in the number of road traffic accidents that Thames Valley Police were called to assist with in the year ending August 2023.

This data was compiled by Lime Solicitors who conducted a comprehensive Freedom of Information (FOI) request to various Police Forces across England.

The solicitors firm found that Thames Valley Police officers dealt with 8,771 road traffic accidents, a slight increase from the 8,722 in the preceding year.

This implies an average increment of four more accidents each month than the previous year.

Contrarily, data from the same FOI request indicates an overall 5 per cent decline in the total number of road traffic accidents across the nation in the two 12-month periods - tapering from 55,006 to 51,995.

Nottinghamshire Police was the only other force, besides Thames Valley, to record a rise in accidents during this period.

FOI also extended requests to Ambulance Trusts across England, unveiling the gravity of these accidents.

According to data from South Central Ambulance, a majority of patients from these accidents required hospitalisation.

56 per cent were taken to A&E while almost 24 per cent were referred to a Major Trauma Centre, implying an urgent need to enhance road safety in the region.

Concerning these figures, Martin Usher, head of serious injury at Lime Solicitors said: "It is concerning that the number of road traffic accidents in Thames Valley bucks the national trend of decline, and accidents continue to rise.

"This shows that there is more that can be done to further improve road safety in the region and put an end to needless injuries."

With conviction, he further urged for more decisive action from the government.

He said: "There is room for more action from the government in terms of legislation, infrastructure improvements, and public awareness campaigns to ensure that road safety measures are both appropriate and enforced, especially in areas where accidents continue to rise."

Drawing attention to the serious implications of these accidents on patients' lives, Usher added: "The high number of patients who required hospital care further proves the severity of road traffic accidents and the life-changing consequences they can have.

"I urge all drivers to be aware of their driving habits, respect speed limits, and understand the real-world implications of their actions.

"Behind every ambulance callout and police car deployed to an accident are individuals and families forever affected by its devastating effects."