According to data released by the Department for Transport (DfT), there were 1,633 road fatalities in 2024, a 1% increased compared to 2023.
Motorcycle fatalities saw the biggest change, with 9% more motorcyclists killed on UK roads than the previous year; however, motorcycle casualties were down by 6%.
Pedestrian fatalities also saw an increase of 2%.
There were 29,537 killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties, little change compared to 2023; there were 128,375 casualties of all severities, a 3% decrease compared with 2023.
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at IAM RoadSmart, said: “These figures demonstrate a troubling lack of progress in bringing down fatal and serious injuries on our road network.
“Moreover, 2024 saw a significant increase in the number of motorcyclists that were killed, highlighting that more needs to be done to protect some of the most vulnerable road users.”
Most casualties involved car occupants, accounting for 55% of the total, with pedestrians accounting for 15%, while motorcyclists and pedal cyclists account for 12% and 11% respectively.
The remaining 7% was made up mainly of bus, coach, and goods vehicle occupants, which all saw a decline in casualties in 2024.
Lyes added: “The Government’s updated road safety strategy cannot come soon enough.”
61% of casualties – and 76% of fatalities – were male, while the largest demographic for casualties was 17 to 29-year-olds.
Rod Dennis, a road safety spokesperson at the RAC, said: “While overall road casualty numbers appear to have reduced slightly year-on-year, alarmingly fatalities have crept up.
“It’s also worrying to see pedestrian fatalities at their highest number since before the pandemic, and that men are still three times more likely to be killed on the roads than women.”
Despite a much lower rate of fatalities, at 8%, over-70s matched 17 to 29 year-olds in fatality numbers; with each group representing 22% of all killed on UK roads in 2024.
