Reported road fatalities in Great Britain, 1979 to 2023

Today’s release of the Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report: 2023 from the Department for Transport, shows that 1,624 people were reportedly killed on our roads last year – 5% fewer than in 2022.

Rebecca Morris, Head of Communications at RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims, said: “While this decline is a small step in the right direction, we must recognise that annual road deaths in Britain have remained largely unchanged for more than a decade. This stagnation is totally unacceptable.

“The total number of people reported killed or seriously injured – 29,711 – also remains largely unchanged, indicating that our efforts to reduce road danger overall are falling drastically short.

“This grim reality reflects a concerning complacency around road crashes and the ongoing threat of road harm. Families and communities continue to suffer, and we are not doing nearly enough to protect them from these preventable tragedies.

She added: “We are also deeply concerned by the report’s confirmation of discrepancies between road collision reports and hospital data. While fatalities are predominantly reported to the police, a significant number of non-fatal casualties go unrecorded.

“We must act decisively and urgently to address these issues. It is time for the government, local authorities and all stakeholders to come together and implement effective strategies aimed at significantly reducing road deaths.

“As a charity dedicated to supporting those affected by road harm, we call for immediate action to prevent further tragedies. Complacency about road death and injury must end now.”

Updated on: 26 September 2024