Numbers killed or seriously injured in crashes in Britain on the rise, Government statistics reveal

While estimates put the number of people who died on Britain’s roads in 2025 at 1,556 – 3% fewer than in 2024 – those sustaining serious injuries increased by 4% from 27, 262* to 28,255 in that time.

In total, 29,911 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes last year, some 1,047 more than the previous year – an increase of 4%. It is the highest number of deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads since 2018.

The provisional data, which were released yesterday (28 May 2026), also reveal that:

• Motorbike users had the largest change in fatalities. Some 384 motorcyclists were killed in crashes, an increase of 13% from 2024.
• An estimated 372 pedestrians were killed in crashes in 2025, a fall of 9% from 2024.
• More than three-quarters (77%) of fatalities were male.
• Young men aged 17 to 29 continue to be at high risk, with 316 killed in crashes in 2025 – a 7% rise compared with 2024.
• The only other age/gender group to see an increase in fatalities was women aged 70 and over, with 151 deaths – 19% more than in 2024.

In January the Government published its long-awaited Road Safety Strategy, with targets to reduce numbers of people killed or seriously injured in road collisions by 65% by 2035, using a 2022 to 2024 baseline.

It is expected that the Department for Transport will report on statistics related to these targets when the 2025 data are finalised later this year.

Ross Moorlock, CEO at Brake, said: “The number of people killed or seriously injured in road crashes in Britain is deeply troubling. The fact that, based on provisional figures, it has increased from last year is unacceptable.

“These are not just statistics. They are real people and real families facing unimaginable heartache and loss. We know that outcomes like these are not inevitable – every road crash is a preventable tragedy. The Government must respond with conviction and take firm action to make road death and injury a thing of the past.”

Note: * the figures for 2024 stated are different from published statistics. This is because the Department for Transport adjusts numbers for serious injuries to account for changes in police reporting.