Behind the road safety statistics are real people

Fatalities fell 3% last year, but serious injuries rose 4%. Percentages hide the reality — and meeting the 2035 targets needs a real change in driver behaviour.

Newly published road safety statistics show a welcome 3% reduction in fatalities on UK roads last year. However, the number of people seriously injured increased by 4%, with overall casualty numbers broadly unchanged.

Percentages hide the reality though. 1,556 people were killed and 29,911 were killed or seriously injured. These are real people, not statistics. Lives ended or changed forever in a split second.

Although deaths and fatalities have fallen over the last decade, much of this reduction can be attributed to better design, legislation and improved safety features on vehicles. Government targets to reduce all KSIs by 65% and child KSIs by 70% by 2035 require a significant change in driver behaviour. 77% of all people killed on our roads in 2025 were male — this isn't a freak, it's a consistent pattern, and one which needs to be addressed.

As driving instructors and trainers, we have a huge responsibility to not only help people to pass their tests, but also to educate and develop thinking drivers who assess risks proactively to keep themselves and everyone else safe and alive.

The old adage that you really learn to drive after you pass your test is only true if your driving instructor failed to prepare you properly for driving independently.

Passing a driving test is a momentous moment for us all. Young people remain disproportionately represented in terms of both fatalities and serious injuries. We all have a responsibility to change this.