Oldham 'most dangerous town in UK for pedestrians'

Research carried out by Howden Insurance has identified the area to be the most treacherous town to travel on foot.

Insurance experts analysed the latest data from the Department for Transport Statistics on road collisions, to see where had the highest percentage involving pedestrians on average each year between 2013 and 2022.

While Oldham came out on top for towns, with 22.6 per cent of all collisions involving pedestrians, it ranked fourth overall - only behind three cities.

They are the City of London, which topped the list as 28.1 per cent all accidents involved pedestrians, second was Dundee City with 23.9 per cent and third was the City of Westminster, 23.4 per cent.

Last month, GMP were called to Huddersfield Road, Oldham, following reports of a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian - just six days after a man was killed in the borough after he was hit by a car (Image: Lisa Slater)

A spokesperson for Howden Insurance said: “While overall road safety has seen an improvement in many areas in the past ten years, it is a cause for concern that some areas it is evidently still an issue, like with Oldham seeing its most dangerous year in 2022.

"With the idea of walkable cities being pushed by many city councils, it’s important that pedestrian safety is heavily considered to ensure people still feel it’s a sensible idea to walk instead of driving.”

As they confirmed, the most dangerous year for those commuting on foot in the town was 2022, when 32.8 per cent of all collisions involved walkers - more than the worst year for each of the 'top three' unsafe places to be a pedestrian.

However, the data is only recorded up to 2022 and missed out some high profile cases - such as Alisha Goup's death last year and a 59-year-old man who also died on Oldham's roads last month.

Alisha Goup was walking to Oldham Sixth Form College when she was struck by a car (Image: GMP)

The 16-year-old was killed while making her way to college walking down Rochdale Road, Oldham.

Omar Choudhury, 23, of Broadway, Royton, and 24-year-old Hamidur Rahman, of Tilbury Street, Oldham, were found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and were both sentenced to 14 years behind bars.

In 2021, 10-year-old Lily Rose Morris died when she was hit just days before Christmas in Sholver, with Mark Fensome of Diggle Street, Shaw, jailed for nine years after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

Last year, Oldham Council released figures in July which showed ‘the best annual reduction’ of incidents in Greater Manchester, with incidents falling 36 per cent compared to the previous 12 months.

Flowers left on Coleridge Road in Sholver following the death of Lily Rose Morris

Speaking previously, Cllr Chris Goodwin, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Figures that show fewer people are being injured on our roads are always welcome.

“The safety of road users is a priority for the council, and our partners, and that’s why it’s a key part of our transport plan for the coming years.

“We are looking to create a road network that supports motorists while at the same time promotes walking and cycling as a safe way to get about."

He added: “Unfortunately, there will always be collisions and accidents, and sadly there is no getting away from that. Our officers continue to monitor our roads and will take action, including putting new safety measures in place if they are needed.

“Everyone has a responsibility to reduce accidents on our roads. So, if you are driving a vehicle, keep to the speed limit and drive responsibly making sure you are aware of other motorists, cyclists and pedestrians at all times.”