Road deaths in Great Britain decreased by 16 percent decrease in 2020, compared to 2019, following a similar pattern to countries within the European Union (EU) for the same period.
The greatest percentage decrease occurred in April, showing the impact of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Provisional Department for Transport (DfT) figures for 2020 reveal that there were 1,472 reported road deaths, compared to 1,748 in 2019. The greatest percentage decrease occurred in April, at the start of the Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Other key statistics:
- There were an estimated 23,486 killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties in 2020, a decrease of 22 percent compared to the same period in 2019
- There were 115,333 casualties of all severities in 2020, a decrease of 25 percent from 2019
- Road traffic in the same period decreased by 21 percent
- Pedal cyclist casualty rates saw the greatest percentage decrease (34 percent) compared to all other road user types, despite actual number of pedal cyclist deaths increasing
- Children (aged 0 to 16 years) and older people (60 years and older) had the greatest percentage decrease of 84 percent and 74 percent respectively, compared to 3-year average for 2017 to 2019
Commenting on the release of the provisional statistics, Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart’s Director of Policy & Research, said: “These results are not unexpected. The reductions in deaths and serious injuries on roads are obviously related to the global pandemic and resulting Lockdowns. We need UK Government to show real leadership and push road safety up the political agenda if we are to see real, sustainable return of year-on-year improvements.â€
See the DfT’s full report
