In 2022, the number of road deaths in the UK saw a rise for the first time since 2017, according to a government report. A total of 1711 people lost their lives.
The leading cause of death was loss of control, resulting in 417 fatalities. This was followed by drivers failing to look (382), careless, reckless, or hurried driving (373), and drivers exceeding the speed limit (337).
The Department for Transport (DfT) released these figures, which also revealed that 28,031 people sustained serious injuries requiring hospital treatment on UK roads.
Throughout the year, 76% of fatalities and 62% of casualties, ranging from slight injuries to fatalities, were male.
This figure is similar to the previous year, with 1752 deaths in 2019 (a decrease of 2%) and 30,144 serious injuries (a decrease of 3%). Traffic numbers returned to pre-pandemic levels for the first time, with 328 billion vehicle miles traveled in 2022.
Compared to 2021, these latest numbers represent an increase of 158 deaths and 2139 serious injuries. However, it is important to note that the earlier part of that year was impacted by a three-month Covid lockdown.
As in previous years, car occupants were involved in the majority of accidents in 2022, resulting in 74,379 casualties. Out of these, 788 were fatal, marking a 7% increase from 2019.
Motorcyclist casualties also rose by 4% to 16,943, including 350 deaths.
In contrast, pedestrian deaths decreased by 18% to 788, and casualties dropped by 11% to 19,327.
Cyclist fatalities also decreased; 91 cyclists were killed, and casualties decreased by 11% to 15,693.
Overall, the UK ranked joint-fourth globally in terms of deaths per million citizens, with 26 deaths. Only Norway (21), Sweden (22), and Iceland (23) were safer. The United States topped the list with 127 deaths per million.
The figures also provided details on the locations of the incidents. Out of the 135,480 casualties, 5309 (including 100 deaths) occurred on motorways, 44,389 (including 1018 deaths) on rural roads, and 85,760 (including 593 deaths) on urban roads.
In response to these figures, RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis urged the government to take more decisive actions to address preventable deaths caused by driver distractions and speeding.
“The increase in the number of casualties on our roads last year, along with the higher involvement of men, is a chilling reminder that there is still much work to be done to improve road safety in the UK, despite having some of the safest roads in Europe,” he stated.
“It’s time for the government to prioritize tackling these issues, which, while complex, result in hundreds of lives lost every year.”