UK Road Safety Trends: Deaths Down, Serious Injuries Up

A busy multi-lane motorway with overhead gantry signs
The M6 managed motorway near junction 10, southbound. Photo: Highways England via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Fewer deaths, more serious injuriesUpdated 4 October 2026

Trend summary

  • British roads are among the safest in the world, and they are getting slightly safer for the people most likely to die on them. Not for everyone, though.
  • 1,538 people were killed on roads in Great Britain in 2025, down 4% from 1,602. That is the lowest outside the pandemic years and 53% below 2004.
  • But the number killed or seriously injured rose 4% to 29,918, and motorcyclist deaths jumped 14%.
  • A new national Road Safety Strategy, published in January 2026, aims to cut deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035.
1,538road deaths, Great Britain, 2025 (−4%)
29,918killed or seriously injured, 2025 (+4%)
+14%motorcyclist deaths, 2025 (386)
−65%serious-casualty cut targeted by 2035

What the numbers show

The Department for Transport’s final figures for 2025 show 1,538 deaths and 127,883 casualties of all kinds in Great Britain, about 4 deaths per billion vehicle miles. By road user, car occupant deaths fell 9% to 629 and pedestrian deaths fell 11% to 364, but motorcyclist deaths rose to 386. Motorcyclists make up a quarter of road deaths and about 1% of traffic. An estimated 220 people died in drink-drive collisions in 2024, down 16%.

Northern Ireland reports separately: 56 people died there in 2025, down from 68, although serious injuries rose 11%. In Wales, 91 people died and collisions on 20mph and 30mph roads were 22% lower than in 2022, before the 20mph default came in.

What is driving it

Speed is still the biggest behavioural factor. At least one speed-related factor was recorded in 52% of fatal collisions in 2025 under DfT’s revised coding, which is not comparable with the older series (DfT). Lower urban limits help: a peer-reviewed NIHR study found Edinburgh’s citywide 20mph limits were followed by a 39% fall in casualty rates. Alcohol featured in 13% of fatal collisions and drugs in 12%.

Recent cases

  • 30 July 2026: DfT’s final 2025 figures show deaths down 4% but serious injuries up 4% (DfT).
  • 27 March 2026: Northern Ireland reports 56 road deaths in 2025, down from 68 (NISRA).
  • 6 January 2026: the government publishes its first national Road Safety Strategy in over a decade, with consultations on a lower drink-drive limit and a minimum learning period for new drivers (GOV.UK).

Press releases and official reports, 2023–2026

Five key releases a year for the last four years, newest first. Most come from UK government departments, regulators, accident investigators and national statistics; a few news reports are included where they are the clearest public record of an event. Releases from 2007–2022 are in the expandable list after 2023.

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View 20 years of major UK road safety press releases (2007–2026)80 more from 2007–2022, five a year, newest first

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Photo list

A yellow-and-black chequered traffic officer SUV parked by a road
File photo: a National Highways traffic officer patrol vehicle. Photo: JTRenrut via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
A white circular road sign with a black diagonal stripe
A national speed limit sign on a UK road. Photo: CT Cooper via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Related on ROR Labs

How this page is built. Figures come from the official statistical releases linked above; where agencies publish provisional numbers we say so, because they are revised. UK statistics are often published separately for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so we say which area each figure covers. Photos are public-domain, Creative Commons or Open Government Licence images credited in each caption; file photos are illustrative and are not from the events described unless the caption says so. This page tracks trends and is not personal safety, medical, legal or financial advice.