William Eichler 01 March 2023

Pedestrian falls cost taxpayers up to £500m a year

Pedestrian falls cost taxpayers up to £500m a year image
Image: P.Cartwright/Shutterstock.com.

Pedestrian falls on dangerous pavements potentially cost taxpayers up to £500m a year, a new report has revealed.

Published by walking charity Living Streets, Pedestrian Slips, Trips and Falls found that around a third of people aged 65 and over, and around half of people aged 80 and over, fall at least once a year.

Drawing on local authority surveys, interviews with highway officers and other sources, the report estimated that 10% of people over 65 will fall outside, which means there could be as many as a million outdoor falls among older adults in England each year.

Nearly one in three (31%) older adults are put off from walking because they worry that they will fall on uneven and poorly maintained pavements, with half (48%) saying they would walk more if pavements were better maintained.

Older people are disproportionately affected by falls. Around 30% of people older than 65 and 50% of people older than 80 fall at least once a year. This has been estimated to cost the NHS more than £2.3bn per year.

The charity recommends investing over £1.6bn to fix pavements across the country, a figure derived from research commissioned by the Department of Transport (DfT). They estimate this investment could lead to reductions in health and social care costs of up to £500m a year.

The report acknowledges that the £500m figure is based on research in Torbay, which is not representative of England as a whole.

Author of the report, Dr Rachel Lee, policy and research manager, Living Streets said: ‘Poor pavements have a real cost with hospital admissions due to trips and falls placing a huge burden on NHS and local authority budgets.

‘Prevention is better than cure. We need to prioritise funding for safe and hazard-free pavements, so older people can enjoy the health and social benefits that come from walking.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Chief Executive

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation
up to £165,000
Ebbsfleet is one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration projects, a 21st-century Garden City Ebbsfleet, Kent
Recuriter: Ebbsfleet Development Corporation

Virtual School Inclusion Support Officer

Essex County Council
£32768.0000 - £38550.0000 per annum
Virtual School Inclusion Support OfficerPermanent, Term Time£32,768 to £38,550 per annum (full time equivalent)Location
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Senior Business Development Officer

Essex County Council
£36341.0000 - £42754.0000 per annum
Senior Business Development Officer - Integrated Passenger Transport UnitFixed Term, Full Time£36,341 to £42,754 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Adults Social Worker - Neighbourhood Team

Essex County Council
£37185 - £50081 per annum + Flexible Working, Hybrid Working
Interview dates
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Investment Marketing and Web Officer CDC

City Of Doncaster Council
Grade 8, £33,708 - £37,399
The postholder should be experienced in planning social media activity, refreshing web content and analysing their impact. Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recuriter: City Of Doncaster Council
Linkedin Banner