The Department for Transport has published the latest statistics for reported road casualties in Great Britain for 2025. While fatalities fell by 3% year-on-year, the broader trend remains relatively flat, continuing a decade-long plateau in serious road harm. Particularly concerning, though, was a rise in motorcyclist deaths, which increased 14% compared with the previous year.
Over the past decade, both the overall number of casualties and fatalities have declined. The number of killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties has also fallen over the past decade, but at a slower rate.
In reported road collisions in Great Britain in 2025, there were an estimated:
- 1,556 fatalities, a decline of 3% compared to 2024
- 29,910 KSI casualties, an increase of 4% compared to 2024
- 127,870 casualties of all severities, little change compared to 2024
Final annual estimates for 2025 are scheduled for publication in July 2026.
Of the four road user groups with the most casualties (car occupants, pedestrians, motorcyclists and pedal cyclists), the statistics show that between 2025 and 2024:
- Motorcycle users had the largest estimated percentage change in the number of fatalities, an increase of 13% to 384
- Pedestrians had the second largest estimated percentage change in fatalities, a decline of 9% to 372
- Pedal cycle casualties showed the largest estimated percentage change in total casualties, an increase of 10% to 16,027
The increase in motorcycle user fatalities marks the second consecutive annual increase in motorcycle user fatalities. However, given year‑to‑year volatility in fatality numbers, it is too early to determine whether this represents a sustained upward trend or a short‑term fluctuation.
In 2025, 77% of fatalities and 61% of casualties of all severities were male, similar to recent years.
Renowned road safety expert Dr Nick Reed, founder of Reed Mobility, said:
“The provisional figures for 2025 show a small reduction in deaths but KSIs remain stubbornly high, particularly for motorcyclists. The recent fuel price rises may well bring reductions in KSIs for 2026 but we must be careful not to attribute this reduction too much to the new Road Safety Strategy – measures from which are likely to take longer to have a significant impact.”
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis commented:
“Once again, this data shows that precious little progress has been made in reducing harm caused on our roads – and firmly underlines why the Government’s Road Safety Strategy is so critical. Frighteningly, on average four people still lose their lives on the roads every single day. If this number of people lost their lives on any other form of transport, serious questions would be being asked.
“It’s alarming to see cyclist casualties increasing so much in just a year, especially given the most recent changes to the Highway Code which prioritises the most vulnerable road users. Evidently, more needs to be done to ensure all road users are aware of their responsibilities when it comes to keeping everyone safe. And while it’s too soon to say whether there’s a clear trend, both cyclist and motorcyclist collisions are up – as are collisions involving e-scooters, which are an increasingly common sight on our streets. While pedestrian fatalities are down slightly year-on-year, casualties are up, and it’s still the case that on average one pedestrian is killed every day – an unacceptable statistic.
“Now that consultation on the Road Safety Strategy has concluded, we look forward to hearing what concrete actions the Government decides to take to make headway on reducing casualties of all kinds on the roads.”
Click HERE for the full DfT report.
(Picture: Yay Images)
