Road Deaths Reduced in 2021

An estimated 1,560 people were killed in accidents on our roads in 2021, according to new figures from the Department for Transport (DfT).

This is a reduction of 12% from the average seen between 2017 and 2019.

The DfT’s provisional results for road casualties in 2021 show that the national lockdown at the beginning of the year caused a reduction in road traffic.

This impacted the road casualty figures considerably.

Reduction in road deaths and injuries

An estimated 27,300 people were killed or seriously injured on the roads last year, which was a reduction of 13% from the 2017 to 2019 average.

There were an estimated 127,967 casualties of all severities in 2021. This is a drop of 21% from the 2017 to 2019 average.

Although compared with 2020, there has been an increase. This is likely down to the fact that 2020 was the year the UK was in and out of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, cyclist fatalities fell by 20% in 2021, with 113 deaths recorded.

Fewer fatalities in women aged over 70

The figures highlighted that fatalities in women over the age of 70 had largely reduced during the COVID-19.

Women in this age category have made up the highest proportion of women killed in road accidents for over a decade.

The highest number of people killed last year, by demographic, were men aged 30-49. A total of 369 men in that age group were killed, which is a worrying increase from the previous year.

The lowest number of deaths on the road last year was in females aged 0-16, with 15 deaths.

Most common fatalities and casualties in 2021

Car occupants were the most likely road users to be involved in a fatal accident, with 686 deaths in 2021.

Pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities were the second and third most common, respectively – with 364 pedestrian deaths and 299 fatalities involving motorcyclists.

Heavy Goods Vehicles and public transport fatalities both had vastly lower amounts of 58 and five fatalities, respectively.

The severity of road casualties in 2021

A significant number of casualties on the road in 2021 were people who had been slightly injured – a total of 100,967 people.

If you’ve been injured in a road traffic accident in the last three years, First4Lawyers could help you get the compensation you’re entitled to. Just give us a call or start your claim online.