Brake mourns another 1,671 killed on UK roads as the Department for Transport releases the latest road casualty figures

• Data shows that 1,602 people died on roads in Britain in 2024, and a further 69 in Northern Ireland. A total of 1,671 road deaths in the UK. [1]
• 27,865 people suffered serious, life-changing injuries on roads in Britain, and a further 939 in Northern Ireland. [2]
• There has been no significant reduction in UK road deaths and serious injuries over the past five years.
• “We must act now to save lives!” says Brake, calling for the Government to publish a Road Safety Strategy without further delay.
• Every year, Brake provides specialist support to more than 2,000 families who have been devastated by bereavement or serious injury following a crash
• Road crashes cost the UK nearly £55 billion in 2024. [3]

Today’s published road casualty figures show that, in 2024, 1,671 people died on UK roads and a further 28,804 suffered serious, life-changing injuries. These figures include those from Great Britain and Northern Ireland combined. Although there may be small, year‑on‑year fluctuations, there remains still no significant improvement in the long‑term trends.

Campaigners are still waiting to see action from the Government, who have repeatedly stated they are working on a road safety strategy since they came into power in July 2024. The last Road Safety Strategy from the Government was published in 2019; since then, more than 8,250 people have died on UK roads. [4]

Ross Moorlock, Chief Executive of Brake, said: “These numbers should shock and anger all of us. It is simply unacceptable that, as a society, we largely accept that people will die on our roads every day. Behind every statistic is a family in turmoil, trying to navigate an entirely new world, with trauma that can last a lifetime. We must see action now to stop road death and injury.”

Brake is calling on the Government to adopt measures that are known to save lives, including:

• Default 20 mph speed limits on roads in built‑up and residential areas
• A stronger licensing system for new and young drivers
• A zero‑tolerance approach to drink‑driving (lowering the legal limits)
• Advanced vehicle safety technologies for all new vehicles, with robust safety regulations fully enforced across all UK nations.

Click here to learn more about Brake's campaigns for change.

This year alone, Brake will support more than 2,000 families who have been bereaved or seriously injured in a road crash. Brake’s specialist caseworkers deliver both practical and emotional support that is trauma-informed and person-centred. The charity receives no central Government funding for this service.

For more information about how Brake supports road victim families, please visit www.brake.org.uk/support.