Dr Rachel Lee, policy and research coordinator, Living Streets, writes:

Shocking new analysis has discovered that pedestrian casualties on British roads peak in November each year.

The research compared four years of records and found an increase of 42 per cent in ­serious pedestrian casualties in November compared with August.

Any death on the road is one too many. Here at Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, we are very disturbed at the dramatic rise.

The winter months bring challenges to road users, including darker evenings and bad weather. We need to ensure we are working to keep people safe on our streets.

Crossings, 20mph speed ­limits and pedestrian zones are all ways of increasing safety and need to be taken seriously to ensure that the number of pedestrian casualties does not continue to rise.

We must prioritise the safety of walkers to make sure ­everybody feels they can get out and enjoy their streets and experience the health, social and environmental benefits that walking brings.

The Government must invest in walking to help save precious lives.