Road Safety Resources

Overall statistics

In in Great Britain in 2023 there were 1,624 fatalities, a decline of 5% compared to 2022. There were 29,711 killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties, little change compared to 2022 (29,742). And overall there were 132,977 casualties of all severities, a decline of 2% compared to 2022.

Vehicle miles driven

Considering road collision rates per billion miles travelled, the final estimates show:

• 334 billion vehicle miles travelled in 2023, a return to travel levels seen in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 5 road fatalities per billion vehicle miles travelled in 2023, down 7% compared to 2022.

Casualties by gender

Once again, in 2023 KSI’s on our roads were found to be overwhelmingly male. Overall, in 2023:

• 75% of fatalities and 61% of casualties of all severities were male
• 5% of fatalities and 10% of casualties were aged 16 years old and under
• 23% of fatalities and 29% of casualties were aged 17 to 29 years old
• 22% of fatalities and 8% of casualties were aged 70 years old and over

Casualties by age

As in 2022, the age group with most fatalities were males aged 30 to 49 with 357 fatalities.

For females the age group with the most fatalities were those aged 70 and over (148), a decrease of 3% over the last year.

Casualties by road type

In 2023, the majority of road fatalities occurred on rural roads, whereas the majority of all casualties occurred on urban roads.

Although motorways account for 21% of road traffic, they account for a much smaller proportion of road fatalities (5%) and casualties (4%).

By contrast, rural road fatalities (60%) are over represented compared to the proportion of rural road traffic (44%). Similarly, urban roads account for a much higher proportion of road casualties (63%) than their relative traffic level (35%).

Seat belt fatalities

In 2023 around a quarter of all car occupants were not wearing seatbelts, but this proportion was higher for male car occupant fatalities and occupants travelling in the evening and night (6pm to 8am).

Fatalities by location

While overall casualties in Great Britain fell from 2022 to 2023 in the North East, Yorkshire, East and West Midlands and Wales – casualties rose over the last year.

Below is a table showing the number of those killed on roads over the last year across the UK compared to 2022.

Police Service for Northern Ireland data shows:

Calendar year 2024 so far:

As of June 2024, there have been 26 fatalities on Northern Ireland’s roads.

Regions: In 2023, Newry, Mourne and Down district had the highest number of road deaths with 11 fatalities. Belfast City district recorded the most serious injuries in 2023 (127 people).

Data shows the biggest principal causation factors for KSI casualties were ‘inattention or attention diverted’ and ‘impairment by drugs or alcohol - driver/rider’

Drivers and pedestrians represent around three-fifths of all KSI (Killed or Seriously Injured) casualties (59%)

Contributory Factors in UK

Officers attending the scene of a collision provide an insight into how and why a collision occurs. They are able to select up to 6 factors they believe contributed to a collision for the vehicles and casualties involved. The 3 sections with the largest number of collisions were:

1. Speed

2. Behaviour or inexperience

3. Distraction or impairment

Whilst the overall table of contributory factors to fatal collisions is below:

Understanding the Hierarchy of Road Users

Observation, Anticipation and Planning

How To Effectively Manage Distractions

Breaking the Cycle of Conflict

Understanding Stopping Distance