Reported Road Casualties 2023

The latest official statistics from the Department of Transport

Newly published Department for Transport (DFT) statistics show an interesting trend regarding fatalities.

Between 2004 and 2023:

fatalities were down 46% from 585 to 315 (2021 – 322)
serious injuries decreased by 36%
motorcycle traffic decreased by 10%

Averaged overt he period 2019 to 2023:

an average of 6 motorcyclists died and 102 were seriously injured per week
a majority of moorcyel fatalities do not occut at or within 20 metres of a junction, compared to 41% of all seriously injured casulaties
almost half of motorcycle fatalities were in a collision with a car
67% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on rural roads
92% of killed or seriously injured casualties were male
The most common factor allocated to the othe vehciles involved was “driver or rider failed to look properly”

Table 1: Number of reported motorcycle casualties by severity and traffic (motorcycle billion vehicle miles), GB: 2004 to 2023

Year	Killed	Serious	Slight	All	Traffic
2004	585	8,573	16,483	25,641	3.15
2005	569	8,310	15,945	24,824	3.31
2006	599	8,015	14,712	23,326	3.17
2007	588	8,233	14,638	23,459	3.39
2008	493	7,468	13,589	21,550	3.13
2009	472	7,208	13,023	20,703	3.17
2010	403	6,454	11,829	18,686	2.86
2011	362	7,014	12,774	20,150	2.90
2012	328	6,697	12,285	19,310	2.59
2013	331	6,520	11,901	18,752	2.65
2014	339	7,063	12,964	20,366	2.74
2015	365	6,761	12,801	19,927	2.75
2016	319	6,659	12,319	19,297	2.77
2017	349	6,191	11,502	18,042	2.74
2018	354	6,059	10,405	16,818	2.72
2019	336	5,685	10,203	16,224	2.67
2020	285	4,457	8,862	13,604	2.16
2021	310	5,200	10,328	15,838	2.53
2022	350	5,607	10,986	16,943	2.84
2023	315	5,481	11,182	16,978	2.85

Source: DfT STATS19 and National Road Traffic Census

Table 5: Contributory factors allocated to vehicles involved in fatal or serious collisions with motorcycle, GB: 2019 to 2023

Contributory Factor	Motorcyclists	Non-motorcyclists	Any vehicle involved
Driver or rider failed to look properly	3,124	6,739	9,863
Driver or rider failed to judge other person`s path or speed	3,029	2,678	5,707
Driver or rider careless, reckless or in a hurry	2,882	1,670	4,551
Exceeding speed limit	1,945	209	2,154
Poor turn or manoeuvre	1,659	2,077	3,736
Loss of control	1,346	111	1,457
Learner or inexperienced driver or rider	1,101	172	1,272
Travelling too fast for conditions	1,027	110	1,137
Aggressive driving	751	267	1,017
Following too close	738	176	914

He said the MCIA believe there are several reasons behind the improvement. They include steps forward with protective kit and electronics which are making bikes both easier and safer to ride. In addition, he believes the greater numbers of bikes, e-scooters and bicycles on the roads are causing drivers to be more on the alert.
“Overall, it is positive to see fewer riders killed on motorcycles,” he said. “But at the same time, any death in the riding community is one too many. The MCIA will continue to encourage riders through the Elite Rider Initiative to take advantage of Post Test Rider Training and we will continue to push the Government to think differently about the road safety of the biking community.”
The statistics generally indicate there are an increasing number of motorcycles and scooters on the roads, are other road users becoming more aware of motorcycles? Is rising costs of fuel and commuting pushing up two wheeled road users? We’d like to hear from you. You can email your thoughts to enquiry@sorrymate.com.
At Sorrymate we encourage riders to take up BikeSafe at any point in your riding lifetime, either those recently qualified or the veterans that may just want a refresher.

Although statistics show a decrease in fatalities accidents are still happening and people are sustaining life-changing injuries. As bikers, we know how vulnerable riders are on the roads and we want to help you. If you are unfortunately involved in an accident and want legal advice, call us on 0800 6300 301.