The number of people killed on Britain’s roads last year fell 16% compared to 2019, as lockdown restrictions and consequently fewer journeys meant all types of road crashes were down.

However the number of cyclists killed rose from 100 in 2019 to 140 last year.

Official figures show that overall there were 1,472 road fatalities last year compared with 1,752 in 2019.

In total 23,486 people were killed or seriously injured in 2020, a decrease of 22% compared to the same period in 2019.

There were 115,333 casualties of all severities in 2020, a decrease of 25% from 2019.

The reduction in road traffic followed a similar trend in the same period and decreased by 21%.

“The issue is that there were still 1,479 fatalities – that is completely unacceptable and no one should take any comfort from a 16% reduction,” Nick Simmons, CEO of road charity Roadpeace told Highways News. “The 40% increase in cycling fatalities is truly shocking. These devastating crashes on our roads must stop completely.”

(Graphic – Office for National Statistics)