DfT report reveals increase in fatalities.

Motorcyclists remain the most vulnerable road users in Britain, with fatalities rising by 8% in 2024 despite an overall decline in road deaths, according to the Department for Transport’s latest annual casualty report.

The newly published government figures show 340 rider deaths last year – up from 315 in 2023 – making motorcyclists the only major road user group to record an increase. They now account for 21% of all road fatalities, despite making up a tiny proportion of total traffic.

By comparison, car occupant deaths fell by 5% to 692, pedal cyclist fatalities dropped 6% to 82, and pedestrian deaths nudged up just 1% to 409. 

In total across all transport types, 1602 people were killed on Britain’s roads in 2024 (of which 76% were male), which represents a 1% reduction year-on-year and the lowest figure on record outside of the pandemic. 

Responding to the report, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes said: “Unfortunately, these figures demonstrate a troubling lack of progress in bringing down fatal and serious injuries on our road network. So much so, Great Britain has slipped down the international comparison table, ranking fourth compared to third in 2023. 

“Of real concern is the significant 8% increase in motorcycle fatalities which shows the need for more protection of some of the most vulnerable road users, while an increase in motorway fatalities is also alarming. We look forward to seeing the UK Government’s refreshed road safety strategy which needs to show some serious ambition in bringing down the number of fatal and serious collisions.” 

Serious injuries (27,865) remained broadly flat, while total reported casualties of all severities dropped 4% to 128,272. 

Motorcyclists also recorded by far the highest fatality rate per mile travelled, with bikers killed at a rate of 115.2 deaths per billion miles – more than 42 times higher than car occupants (2.7) and over four times that of pedestrians (26.4). 

ven when expanding beyond deaths alone to include all reported injuries, motorcycle users topped the risk table with 5408 casualties per billion miles travelled, compared to 274 for car users. 

The report notes that most fatal collisions occur on rural roads, where higher speeds are common. On the flip side, while motorways account for a fifth of all traffic, they represented just 6% of fatalities.