Below, we take a look at the UK’s road collision and casualty statistics, including data for each country, different road users, ages, and road types.
*Figure reflects a 10-year average from 2013 to 2022
Collision and casualty statistics in Great Britain are recorded by the police and published by the Department for Transport. Statistics for Northern Ireland are recorded and published by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
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Road deaths and serious injuries in the UK, in 2022
- 1,766 people were killed (1,711 in Britain, 55 in NI).
- 28,941 were seriously injured (28,031 in Britain, 910 in NI).
- Road deaths have increased by 10% since 2021, close to pre-pandemic levels.
- Serious injuries are up by 8% since 2021.
- Aside from during the pandemic, there has been little change in the number of people killed and injured on our roads in the last decade (1,770 road deaths in 2013).
Source: Department for Transport (2023) Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report: 2022 and supporting data sets.
Road casualties by country, 2022
United Kingdom
- 1,766 road deaths
- 28,941 serious injuries
- 112,619 slight injuries
- 143,326 casualties of all severities
Great Britain (UK excluding Northern Ireland)
- 1,711 road deaths
- 28,031 serious injuries
- 105,738 slight injuries
- 135,480 casualties of all severities
England
- 1,443 road deaths
- 25,018 serious injuries
- 98,963 slight injuries
- 125,424 casualties of all severities
Wales
- 95 road deaths
- 1,241 serious injuries
- 3,109 slight injuries
- 4,445 casualties of all severities
Scotland
- 173 road deaths
- 1,772 serious injuries
- 3,666 slight injuries
- 5,611 casualties of all severities
Northern Ireland
- 55 road deaths
- 910 serious injuries
- 6,881 slight injuries
- 7,846 casualties of all severities
Source: RAS0402: Reported road collision and casualty numbers and rates by severity, region and country, United Kingdom, ten years up to 2022 [1]
Road deaths and serious injuries by how we were moving, GB, 2022
- Car occupant deaths / serious injuries = 788 / 10,711
- Pedestrian deaths / serious injuries = 385 / 5,901
- Motorcycle user deaths / serious injuries = 350 / 5,618
- Cyclist deaths / serious injuries = 91 / 4,056
- Bus, truck, van and unknown vehicle occupant deaths / serious injuries = 97 / 1,745
Source: RAS0201: Reported road casualties by severity and road user type, Great Britain, 10 years up to 2022 [2]
Road deaths and serious injuries by age and how we were moving, GB 2022
Pedestrian deaths / serious injuries
- Children (0-15) = 17 / 1,401
- Young people (16-24) = 31 / 744
- Adults (25-59) = 165 / 2,257
- Adults (60+) = 172 / 1,460
Cyclist deaths / serious injuries
- Children (0-15) = 4 / 325
- Young people (16-24) = 3 / 526
- Adults (25-59) = 45 / 2,581
- Adults (60+) = 39 / 571
Car occupant deaths / serious injuries
- Children (0-15) = 20 / 452
- Young people (16-24) = 182 / 2,398
- Adults (25-59) = 306 / 5,261
- Adults (60+) = 280 / 2,520
Motorcyclist occupant deaths / serious injuries
- Children (0-15) = 4 / 88
- Young people (16-24) = 63 / 1,535
- Adults (25-59) = 223 / 3,320
- Adults (60+) = 60 / 635
Bus, truck, van and unknown vehicle occupant deaths / serious injuries
- Children (0-15) = 4 / 135
- Young people (16-24) = 14 / 271
- Adults (25-59) = 56 / 959
- Adults (60+) = 23 / 351
Note: Data on victim age is not recorded for all casualties. Therefore, totals may not add up to total casualty statistics.
Source: RAS0202: Reported road casualties by road user type, sex and age, Great Britain, 10 years up to 2022 [3]
Rate of deaths and serious injuries on roads, GB 2022
The rate of deaths and serious injuries on roads, per billion miles travelled, provides a valuable understanding of the relative risks we face when we move in different ways. It highlights who is most at risk.
- Motorcyclist user death / serious injury rate = 123 / 1,980
- Pedestrian death / serious injury rate = 27 / 406
- Cyclist death / serious injury rate = 23 / 1,041
- Car occupant death / serious injury rate = 3 / 44
- Van occupant death / serious injury rate = 1 / 7
- Truck occupant death / serious injury rate = 1 / 8
- Bus occupant death / serious injury rate = 1 / 141
Source: RAS0201: Reported road casualty numbers and rates by severity and road user type, Great Britain, 10 years up to 2022 [4]
Proportion of car occupant deaths not wearing seatbelts, GB 2022
- 21% across all car occupants
- 21% for drivers
- 22% for passengers
Car occupants were not wearing seatbelts in almost half (42%) of fatal collisions in the evening and night (6pm to 8am).
Note: These statistics exclude deaths where seatbelt wearing status is unknown (about half of collisions involving a death).
Source: RAS0711: Proportion of car occupant fatalities not wearing a seatbelt: Great Britain, from 2013 [5]
Proportion of deaths and serious injuries where speed was a contributory factor, GB 2022
Police recorded that
- exceeding the speed limit was a contributory factor in 20% of deaths
- travelling too fast or exceeding the speed limit was a contributory factor in 25% of deaths
Note: Contributory factors are as reported by the police at the scene. These statistics only include casualties in collisions where a police officer attended the scene and in which a contributory factor was reported.
Source: RAS0704: Reported road collisions, casualties and vehicles where speed was a contributory factor by severity, Great Britain, 10 years up to 2022 [6]
International Comparison, GB 2022
Across 32 European countries, the UK has the fourth lowest road death rate per million of the population at 26 deaths per million population.
Norway has the lowest death rate per million of the population at 21 deaths per million population – almost 20% lower than the figure for the UK.
Source: RAS0404: International comparisons of road deaths, number and rates for different road users, by selected countries [7]
This page was updated in October 2023.
