A county in rural areas lacking motorways emerged as the most dangerous location for driving in the UK last year, prompting calls for enhanced road safety measures. Recent data from the Department for Transport revealed a total of 1,602 road fatalities in Britain in 2024, marking a marginal 1% decrease from the previous year. Additionally, 29,467 individuals sustained fatal or serious injuries, showing a 1% decline from 2023, with a total of 128,272 reported casualties, down by 4%.
The majority of fatalities occurred among car drivers and passengers (692), pedestrians (409), and motorcyclists (340). Although car-related deaths decreased by 5% last year, fatalities among motorcyclists rose by 8% and pedestrian fatalities increased by 1%. Concerns raised by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) indicated a stagnation in road safety progress, emphasizing the urgent need for a new safety approach due to vulnerable road users accounting for over half of all fatalities.
Notably, significant variations in the number and severity of road traffic accident injuries were observed across different regions, with rural areas experiencing the highest impact. In 2024, rural roads accounted for 60% of all fatalities, totaling 956 deaths, exceeding urban areas’ figures of 555 fatalities and motorways’ 91 deaths.
Lincolnshire recorded the highest number of road fatalities in 2024, despite lacking a motorway. The county witnessed 53 road-related deaths. Following Lincolnshire, Kent reported 45 fatalities, trailed by Essex (42), Norfolk (41), and Lancashire (37). Kent also topped the list for the highest number of serious injuries or fatalities (921), followed by Hampshire (886), Lancashire (761), Surrey (714), and Essex (676).
Surrey ranked second in road traffic injuries (3,120), with Birmingham (3,055), Lancashire (2,996), and Essex (2,965) following suit. RoSPA urged the government and local authorities to prioritize proven safety measures in the upcoming National Road Safety Strategy, advocating for actions such as lower speed limits in high-risk zones, targeted enforcement, improved infrastructure for vulnerable road users’ protection, and enhanced public education initiatives.
Moreover, RoSPA called for safety enhancements like expanding 20mph zones in residential and school areas. Rebecca Guy, Senior Policy Manager at RoSPA, emphasized the need for evidence-based strategies to prevent road traffic accidents and highlighted the preventable nature of road fatalities with appropriate interventions.
Data revealed that most road fatalities and casualties were male (76% and 61%, respectively). Older men aged 30-49 accounted for the highest number of fatalities, followed by men aged 50-69. Despite challenges, Great Britain ranked as one of the safest countries for driving worldwide, with 24 fatalities per million people in 2024. Comparatively, Norway, Sweden, and Malta reported fewer deaths per million inhabitants.
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