The number of people killed on Britain’s roads has fallen.

However, the number killed or seriously injured has increased.

New figures for drink-driving show it continues to account for hundreds of deaths every year, prompting warnings that progress on road safety is stalling.

Wheel of fortune

Final road casualty figures for 2025 published by the Department for Transport show that 1,538 people died in reported road collisions in Great Britain during 2025, down from 1,602 in 2024.

However, the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) rose to 29,918, a 4% increase on the 29,467 recorded in 2024.

The total number of casualties of all severities was broadly unchanged at 127,883, compared with 128,272 in 2024.

The figures provide a mixed picture of road safety in Britain. Fatalities are continuing to fall, but the increase in serious injuries suggests that the long-term decline in road casualties has slowed significantly.

The continuing improvement in car safety, including automatic emergency braking, has undoubtedly improved road casualty figures over the last two decades, but the question remains whether driving skills have improved.

Stalling progress

The latest figures also show how little the overall picture has changed in recent years.

There were 1,624 road deaths in 2023, followed by 1,602 in 2024 and 1,538 last year.

KSI casualties, meanwhile, stood at 29,711 in 2023, fell marginally to 29,467 in 2024, before rising to almost 30,000 in 2025.

Looking further back, fatalities have fallen substantially over the longer term.

In 2013, there were 1,713 deaths on Great Britain’s roads, meaning the latest figure represents a reduction of around 10% over 12 years.

But the pace of improvement has been much slower in recent years.

The latest figures also reveal significant differences between road users.

Motorcyclist deaths increased by 13% to 384, marking a second consecutive annual increase.

By contrast, pedestrian fatalities fell by 9% to 372, while car occupant deaths declined by 8% to 638. Pedal cyclist fatalities were down by 1% at 81.

The overall number of pedal cyclist casualties, however, increased by 10% to 16,027, while pedestrian casualties also rose by 4% to 19,972.

Not escaping reality

Road safety experts have welcomed a reduction in drink-drive deaths, but warned that too many people still lose their lives every year completely unnecessarily, underlining the need for a new generation of road safety measures.

New DfT figures estimate that 220 people died in drink-drive crashes during 2024, down from 260 the previous year, yet the total number of casualties was slightly higher at 6,350.

Hunter Abbott, Managing Director of personal breathalyser firm AlcoSense Laboratories, said Britain had achieved remarkable progress in reducing drink-drive deaths over the past four decades, but warned there was no room for complacency.

“Britain has made enormous progress since the late 1970s. Drink-drive deaths have fallen by 87%, and countless lives have been saved.

“However, the total number of people killed has remained stubbornly above 200 for the past decade.

“The evidence suggests we’ve reached the point where the measures that transformed road safety over the last forty years are delivering diminishing returns.

Another one for the road

The Government is currently considering changes to drink-drive laws as part of its forthcoming Road Safety Strategy, including reducing the legal alcohol limit in England and Wales from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

Previous AlcoSense research found that 58% of UK motorists believe the most effective way of tackling drink driving is through a combination of lower legal limits and stronger police enforcement, rather than relying on either measure alone.

According to analysis by AlcoSense of the new Department for Transport figures, the South East again recorded the highest number of drink-drive casualties (1,110), despite a year-on-year reduction of 150. June was the worst month for drink-drive collisions, and male drivers caused 80% of drink-drive casualties.

Department for Transport

 

The estimated number of fatalities in collisions where one or more of the deceased drivers were over the drug-drive limit for illegal drugs was 120, a 24% decrease on the previous year.

This includes both legal and illegal drugs.

Most of the deceased drivers who were over the drug-drive limit were more than twice over the limit, and illegal drugs were more likely to be found in drivers aged between 20 and 39

Of the drugs detected in deceased drivers, cocaine and cannabis (and their metabolites) were the most often recorded.

Changing gear

The RAC has warned that the latest casualty figures demonstrate the need for renewed action. RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said that “precious little progress” had been made in reducing harm on Britain’s roads, with around four people still losing their lives every day.

The organisation has also highlighted the continuing threat posed by drink-driving, warning that motorists should not assume that being below the legal alcohol limit necessarily means they are safe to drive.

IAM RoadSmart has similarly called for urgent action to tackle Britain’s road safety problem, with particular concern about the rising number of motorcyclist deaths and the persistent levels of serious injury.

The Government’s forthcoming Road Safety Strategy is therefore expected to come under scrutiny as ministers consider how to reverse the stubbornly high number of serious casualties.

The latest figures suggest that improvements in vehicle safety and other measures continue to save lives, but the increase in serious injuries and casualties among some vulnerable road users demonstrates that Britain still faces a major road safety challenge.

The continuing toll from drink-driving adds another layer to the problem.

With an estimated 220 people killed in drink-drive collisions during 2024, alcohol remains a major factor in Britain’s road death toll, along with drug driving.

A strategy

Almost 30,000 people were killed or seriously injured in a single year, leading campaigners to argue that reducing deaths alone is no longer enough.

The Government’s new Road Safety Strategy will now face a significant test: whether it can deliver sustained reductions not only in deaths, but also in serious injuries, while tackling persistent behaviours such as drink and drug-driving that continue to put lives at risk on Britain’s roads.