The casualties
Latest official figures for Britain's roads
Official figures on road casualties for 2023 show a decline.
The Department for Transport (DfT) stats show 1,624 fatalities, a 5% decline from the previous year.
In total, 29,711 people were killed or seriously injured (KSI), little change compared to 2022, while there were 132,977 casualties of all severities, a decline of 2% year-on-year.
Reported road fatalities in Great Britain, 1979 to 2023
Source: DfT
Dangerous men
A surprising statistic within the figures was that 75% of fatalities and 61% of casualties of all severities were male.
Furthermore, 334 billion vehicle miles travelled in 2023 represent a return to travel levels seen in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, said: “Thankfully, this latest data shows overall casualty and fatality levels are down compared to 12 months earlier, and significantly down on a decade ago – despite a return to the number of miles being driven pre-pandemic.
“It also confirms that motorways are safer than any other type of road, especially compared to rural roads.”
However, Dennis pointed out that there were several “important points to note”.
These include the fact “that men are far more likely to be killed or injured on our roads than women, and that pedestrian fatalities and those involving young people appear to be rising”.
He believes this reminds us that “there’s room for improvement”.
Think bike
Of the four major road user types, motorcyclist fatalities notably declined by 10%.
Meanwhile, in international comparisons for 2023, Great Britain ranked third out of 33 countries with available data for the lowest number of road fatalities per million population.
While James Broun, research manager at RoSPA, welcomed the reduction in fatalities, he warned that the figures overall show “virtually no improvement”, adding to the ongoing concern that improvements to road safety have plateaued.
“It’s important to put this into context. Although it’s good to see that road fatalities have decreased by 9% over the past decade, this is a marked slowdown compared to the 47% reduction achieved in the previous ten years.
“Taking a longer view, it’s clear that without a comprehensive road safety strategy in place, momentum has been lost.
Where’s the plan
Fellow road safety professionals echo his call on the new Government to “take decisive action.”
The Government’s abandonment of road safety targets and a clear strategic plan over the last decade has been blamed for the failure to improve.
IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards, Nicholas Lyes, welcomed the slight improvement.
He added that “these are preventable deaths, and significant work is required to meaningfully tackle the number of road casualties across the country.
“Of particular concern is an increase in the proportion of fatalities where an occupant is not wearing a seatbelt which has risen from a fifth in 2022 , to a quarter of those killed in a vehicle in 2023.”
“We urge the Government to accelerate its commitment to publish a new road safety strategy with a vision zero focus and measures to improve driving and riding standards.”
Belt up
Not wearing seatbelts is proving to be a factor in road casualties, made worse by the fact that such deaths are avoidable right from the start of the journey.
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).
Source: DfT
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA, said: “While the headline figure shows a 5% fall in the total number of lives lost, there is much to be worried about when looking at the details.
“Shockingly, the number of drivers that lost their lives while not wearing a seatbelt has increased from a fifth in 2022 to a quarter in 2023.
Cousens raised the “lack of police on our roads” as failing to deter irresponsible driving habits.
“A meaningful road safety strategy is desperately clear, as well as more road traffic officers to help enforce the rules of the road.”
Slow down
Introducing more 20mph speed limits on urban roads is also being considered a positive policy approach that could make a real difference.
Brake also called for a new approach to the licensing system to safeguard young drivers (GDL) and a zero-tolerance approach to drink-driving.
Ross Moorlock, chief executive of Brake, said: “Road casualties are not just statistics. Behind every number is a family in turmoil. A grief-stricken family trying to navigate its way through the complex procedures that often follow a road crash. Behind every number is a family whose lives have been changed forever in an instant.”
Price paid
In 2023, the total societal and economic cost of road deaths and injuries was £42.2 billion. This figure includes the cost to seriously injured people and to families navigating complex procedures and services.
The data, published by the DfT on 26 September, also shows a 2% year-on-year fall in the total number of casualties recorded—down to 132,977.
However, at 29,711, there was no change in the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) when compared to 2022.
Considering road collision rates per billion miles travelled, the final estimates show five road fatalities per billion vehicle miles travelled in 2023, down 7% from 2022.
In terms of different road user types, there were reductions in fatalities among car occupants, motorcyclists and cyclists.
At 10%, the most significant percentage change compared to 2022 was for motorcyclists.
Car occupant fatalities fell by 8%, and cyclists 4%.
There was, however, a rise in the number of pedestrian fatalities – up by 5%.
