DfT reports rise in road deaths
The Department for Transport has reported a modest rise in road deaths in Great Britain last year.
Provisional statistics based on data supplied by police forces by November 2024 have revealed there were 1,633 fatalities in the 12 months to June 2024, which represents a rise of one per cent on 2023 figures.
There were a further 29,537 killed or seriously injured casualties, with 128,375 casualties of all severities, which is three per cent down on the year ending June 2023.
Meanwhile, 76% of all fatalities and 61% of all casualties were male.
Responding to the figures, Edmund King, AA president, said: “Every death on our roads is a tragedy, and sadly we are still losing at least four people a day. If this level of loss was experienced on any other form of transport, there would be a national inquiry and public outcry. Yet, for some reason, we seem to accept this as the risk of moving around our communities. This should not be the case.”
New strategy
King continued: “We urgently need a road safety strategy that will help bring down deaths and serious injuries on our roads. This means taking bold action like bringing in harsher penalties for those not wearing a seatbelt and those driving under the influence of drugs. Similarly, we need to help safeguard newly qualified drivers to ensure they feel confident on the road before exposing them to additional risks such as peer-aged passengers.”
Meanwhile, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards Nicholas Lyes said: “These figures demonstrate a troubling lack of progress in bringing down fatal and serious injuries on our road network.
“Moreover, 2024 saw a significant increase in the number of motorcyclists that were killed – provisionally the highest number since 2018 – further highlighting that more needs to be done to protect some of the most vulnerable road users. The government’s updated road safety strategy cannot come soon enough.”
