TRL has called for renewed urgency and evidence-led action to improve road safety following the publication today (30 th July) of the Department for Transport’s final reported road casualty statistics for Great Britain in 2025.
The figures present a mixed but concerning picture. In reported road collisions during 2025, there were:
• 1,538 fatalities, a reduction of 4% compared with 2024;
• 29,918 people killed or seriously injured (KSI), an increase of 4%;
• 127,883 casualties of all severities, broadly unchanged from 2024;
• Four road fatalities per billion vehicle miles travelled.
While the continued reduction in fatalities is welcome, TRL believes that the increase in the number of people killed or seriously injured demonstrates that progress is not being made quickly or consistently enough. The direction of travel is particularly concerning given the Government’s target to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035. An increase in KSIs at this early stage makes achieving that ambition considerably more challenging and reinforces the need to accelerate delivery of the Road Safety Strategy.
The figures also highlight worrying trends among vulnerable road users. KSIs are increasing among pedestrians, motorcyclists and pedal cyclists, while the increase in fatalities is largely associated with motorcyclists.
TRL is calling for more detailed analysis to understand the characteristics and circumstances behind these collisions, including changes in how motorcycles and other powered two-wheelers are being used. This should include consideration of work-related riding and the rapid growth of app-based delivery services within the gig economy.
Prof Richard Cuerden, Director of Safety Management for TRL, said:
“Although any reduction in fatalities should be welcomed, the overall picture remains deeply disappointing. Nearly 30,000 people were killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads in 2025, and the number is moving in the wrong direction.
“This trend makes the Government’s target of reducing deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035 significantly harder to achieve. Meeting that ambition will require urgent, coordinated and evidence-led action across road design, vehicle safety, enforcement, education and road-user behaviour.
“We are particularly concerned about the trends affecting pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The rise in motorcycle fatalities requires further investigation so that we can understand who is being harmed, where and why. This must include emerging patterns such as the increasing use of powered two-wheelers for work and delivery services.
“Every serious collision contains lessons that could help prevent another tragedy. Establishing the Road Safety Investigation Branch must therefore be treated as a priority, with the independence, expertise, resources and access to data needed to identify systemic risks and translate evidence into effective interventions.”
The proposed Road Safety Investigation Branch would examine collision patterns and underlying causes without determining blame or liability. It would draw on evidence from police, healthcare, insurers, vehicle manufacturers and other sources to make independent safety recommendations.
TRL believes that establishing the branch would provide a vital mechanism for turning collision data into practical prevention measures. This should form part of a wider Safe System approach in which road design, vehicle technology, speed management, enforcement and education work together to protect people when mistakes occur.
The latest figures must act as a catalyst for action. Reversing the increase in serious injuries will require targeted interventions, better-linked data and a stronger understanding of the changing ways in which people travel and work on Britain’s roads.
(Picture: TRL)
