UK’s Decade of Missed Opportunities to Cut Road Deaths

June 2021

A report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) says the UK came 31st out of 32 European countries in terms of progress in reducing road deaths over the past 10 years, with only The Netherlands making less progress than the UK.

A total of 18,844 people lost their lives on roads in the EU in 2020, 37% fewer than in 2010. This was helped by a decrease in travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was mainly responsible for a 3,900 (17%) drop in road deaths between 2019-2020.

According to provisional figures, 1,580 people died on the UK’s roads in 2020. This was a fall of 14% compared to 2010. The Netherlands saw a decrease in road deaths of just 5%.

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) said the UK was far from achieving the average levels of the EU countries and further still from the target of a 50% signed up to by the Government 10 years ago.

Executive director David Davies said: ‘It was a decade of missed opportunities. The UK Government did not make road safety a priority, refused to set national casualty reduction targets and failed to provide the comprehensive framework to deliver real change.

‘There are indications of a new approach from the UK Government, recognising the importance of safety to wider agendas such as improving public health, environmental sustainability and relieving pressure on emergency services.’

Greece was the only EU member state to reach the road death reduction target with a decrease of 54% over the decade to 2020. Norway, a non-EU country, saw a 55% fall in the number of road deaths.

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