Road deaths on the rise with motorcyclists showing highest increase

There were an estimated 1,633 fatalities on Britain’s roads last year, an increase of 1% year-on-year, according to new data from the Department for Transport (DfT).

The new figures from the DfT show that 29,537 killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties, little change compared to 2023, while there were 128,375 casualties of all severities, a decline of 3% compared to 2023.

The road user type with the biggest estimated percentage change for 2024 compared to 2023 for fatalities was motorcyclists, which showed an increase of 9%.

Of the four main road user types, motorcyclists had the biggest estimated percentage change for 2024 compared to 2023 for all casualties, which showed a decline of 6%.

Furthermore, the data shows that three-quarters (76%) of fatalities and almost two-thirds (61%) of casualties of all severities were male.

Fatalities involving pedestrians, meanwhile, climbed by 2%, while pedal cyclist deaths showed a decline of 2%.

In 2024, 55% of casualties were car occupants, 15% were pedestrians, 12% were motorcyclists and 11% were pedal cyclists.

The data also shows that there were an estimated 1,214 casualties in collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 1,387 in 2023.

There were four people killed in collisions involving e-scooters (four of whom were e-scooter riders) compared to six in 2023.

DfT’s best estimate, after adjusting for changes in reporting by police, is that there were 394 seriously injured and 816 slightly injured in collisions involving e-scooters, this compares to 414 and 967 respectively in 2023.

Reported road fatalities by road user type in 2024 compared with 2023

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RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “While overall road casualty numbers appear to have reduced slightly year-on-year, alarmingly fatalities have crept up - led by an increase in fatal collisions involving motorcyclists.

“It’s also worrying to see pedestrian fatalities at their highest number since before the pandemic, and that men are still three times more likely to be killed on the roads than women.”

He added: “This data is yet more evidence of the need for a renewed focus on saving lives on the roads, so we look forward to the publication of the Government’s road safety strategy.”

IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards, Nicholas Lyes, believes that the figures demonstrate a “troubling lack of progress” in bringing down fatal and serious injuries on the road network.

Moreover, he said: “2024 saw a significant increase in the number of motorcyclists that were killed, 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.”

In terms of casualties and fatalities by age, 4% of fatalities and 10% of casualties were aged 16 years old and under, while 22% of fatalities and 28% of casualties were aged 17 to 29 years old.

Some 22% of fatalities and 8% of casualties were aged 70 years old and over.

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.”

He concluded: “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.”