The Road Ahead: 2024 casualty data & what it reveals about Britain

The Department for Transport’s provisional 2024 statistics reveal a complex picture of road safety in Great Britain.

While overall casualties have decreased, fatalities rose slightly, with 1,633 road deaths in 2024, a 1% increase from 2023. Motorcyclists and young or elderly road users remain disproportionately high risk. The figures reflect long-standing road safety patterns and highlight emerging issues for future policy reform.

Gender disparities

Men remain overrepresented in road casualties, accounting for 76% of fatalities and 61% of all injuries in 2024:

• 1,245 male deaths vs. 387 female deaths
• 77,451 male casualties vs. 49,402 female casualties

This persistent gender gap likely stems from higher mileage and riskier behaviour among men. Encouragingly, male casualties saw a slightly larger year-on-year decrease than female ones, hinting at progress in road safety efforts.

Age-based risk

Age remains a key factor in road safety outcomes:

• Children (0 to 16): 4% of deaths, 10% of casualties
• Young adults (17 to 29): 22% of deaths, 28% of casualties
• Older adults (70+): 22% of deaths, but just 8% of casualties

The 30 to 49 age group had the highest number of total casualties, likely due to greater exposure from commuting and family responsibilities.

Focus on motorcyclist safety

The significant rise in motorcyclist fatalities in 2024 serves as a sharp reminder of their vulnerability on the roads. Many of these fatal accidents occur on rural roads, despite urban areas seeing a higher number of incidents. Common causes of motorbike crashes include:

• Loss of control
• Impaired driving (e.g. alcohol or drugs)
• Failing to look properly at junctions
• Speed misjudgement
• Reckless riding or unsafe actions by other drivers

Other road users should:

• Check mirrors and blind spots before turning or changing lanes
• Leave adequate space when following a motorcycle
• Be especially cautious around junctions and in poor visibility conditions

Policy implications and future strategy

While overall casualty numbers show a
long-term downward trend, the slowing pace of improvement, particularly in fatalities, suggests that new strategies are urgently required. The UK government has announced plans to publish an updated Road Safety Strategy, with the goal of addressing this stagnation and improving safety outcomes for vulnerable groups.

Areas of focus are expected to include:

• Behavioural education for high-risk groups (particularly young and male drivers)
• Infrastructure changes to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and e-scooter users
• Enhanced awareness campaigns around vulnerable road users like motorcyclists and older drivers

Conclusion

The 2024 road casualty statistics reveal that while progress has been made, much work remains. Groups such as motorcyclists, children, young adults, and the elderly remain disproportionately affected. Moreover, the persistence of gender-related disparities and the emerging risks associated with new transport modes like e-scooters add further complexity to the road safety landscape.

Employers, policy makers, and individuals alike have a role to play in reducing risk, from ensuring safe driving policies at work to raising awareness about vulnerable road users.

Where you have people who drive as part of their work it is important that you have suitable policies and procedures in place to manage their safety and the safety of other road users. Please speak to our team if you would like to discuss ways we can support you to manage of occupational road safety hazards.