Road Safety: Road Deaths Decrease In Latest Figures
The latest data from the Department for Transport (DfT) has shown that the total number of road fatalities decreased in 2023.
There was a 5% decrease in the total figures as 1,624 people died in road traffic incidents, while the number of people who were killed or seriously injured remained broadly the same.
In total, there were 132,977 casualties, which includes those with minor injuries, which is a 2% decrease on 2022’s figures.
The Road Safety Impact
Interestingly, 75% of all fatalities were male, with 61% of total casualties being male.
Given that 35% of cars are registered to women and 65% are registered to men, this is slightly higher than expected and does present a legitimate concern around road safety issues skewing towards men.
However, the overall picture is positive with total figures decreasing across the board compared to the previous year and motorway driving being statistically the safety type of road to drive on.
With concerns over mobile phone usage, aggressive driving and other road safety issues being prevalent in the last few years, the data is positive news as authorities look to improve the situation even further.
In fact, when you compare the latest data with figures from the last 10 years, the total number of incidents, casualties and fatalities is down significantly despite the total miles being driven sitting at a similar level.
Traffic levels have returned to pre-pandemic levels which meant that many road safety experts expected a natural increase in figures, which hasn’t materialised.
However, rural roads still present a concern for road safety campaigners and according to the figures, they present the biggest concern when it comes to road deaths.
The Future Of Road Safety
With traffic levels returning to pre-pandemic levels, the concern is about what impact that has on road safety.
A recent study found that drivers believe they’re witnessing an increasing amount of poor and aggressive driving, which includes tailgating, using handheld devices behind the wheel and cutting people up.
But given that the overall figures show a decrease in incidents, casualties and deaths, it doesn’t appear to be impacting the bigger picture.
That’s not to say that there isn’t work to be done to increase road safety, but it is good news in terms of general trends.
With the DfT, National Highways, local authorities and the police working together on road safety initiatives, it’s clear that effort is being put into ensuring road safety is a priority.
One such initiative has seen drivers send in thousands of hours of dashcam footage to help the police investigate road collisions and other driving issues, with driver footage becoming an increasingly available tool – something which fleets will be more than familiar with.
Do you think more needs to be done to address poor driving behaviour? And do you think the latest DfT road safety figures show a positive trend that’s likely to continue? Let us know in the comments below.
