Where are the most dangerous roads in Britain?

Introduction

This report will outline injuries caused by road accidents in the UK between 2018 and 2020 in order to determine which areas in the UK have the most dangerous roads.

Our data also examines the highest number of accidents in relation to age and vehicle type, outlining the severity of injury type between those considered slight* injuries, serious injuries and fatal injuries in order to determine which road users have been found to be the most vulnerable in recent years.

All data comes from our study** which analysed Government data of injuries caused by road accidents in the UK and features our own data.

Volume and severity

Government statistics suggest that the majority of accidents based on population was the West Midlands, with 0.91% (26,735) of the West Midlands population (est. 2.9m) having been injured in road accidents over this three year period.

Coming below the West Midlands was London, with 0.81% (72,013) of the London population (est. 8.9m) having been injured in road accidents.

The region with the least amount of road accidents was Scotland, with just 0.29% (15,925) of its population (est. 5.4m) being injured in road accidents, closely followed by the North East with 0.34% (8,729) from an estimated population of 2.5m and Wales 0.36% (11,406) from an estimated population of 3.1m.

Initially it may seem like injuries from road accidents are more likely to occur in highly populated areas; however, 0.57% (52,224) of the South East, with an estimated population of 9.1m, and 0.45% (32,763) of the North West, with an estimated population of 7.3m, had been injured in road accidents.

From our own data over the same three year period we saw the majority of road accident enquiries (17.80%) came from Greater London, with the South East of England (17.59%) a close second. Despite the West Midlands having one of the lowest estimated populations of 2.9m, it came in fourth for the higher number of enquiries at 12.32%.

Of the accidents that occurred in each region, the Government data suggests that London had the highest percentage of accidents that resulted in ‘slight’ injuries with 85.2% of the accidents in that region. This was followed the South West with 80.4% of the accidents in that region causing slight injuries. The lowest proportion of slight injuries caused in road accidents was Scotland at 69.4%.

Despite Scotland having the lowest percentage of slight injuries, it did in fact have the highest percentage of accidents considered to have caused ‘serious’ injuries at 27.8%. The lowest was in fact London with 14.4% of the accidents having caused serious injuries.

The same applies to accidents which cause fatal injuries. Once again, Scotland has the highest percentage of fatal accidents at 2.8% of the overall road accidents causing injuries in Scotland, followed by Wales at 2.3% and East Midlands at 2.1%. Yet, by far, London has the lowest percentage at 0.4%.

What this shows us is that although London has the highest number of accidents based on its population, the injuries caused are the least serious of any other region. However, it’s in Scotland where the most serious injuries are caused through road accidents, despite it having less accidents based on its population than any other region.

Casualties

Approximately 46% of the Government’s recorded road accidents involved injuries to drivers***, 17% involved injuries to pedestrians, 15% injuries to cyclists 13% injuries to motorcyclists and 9% injuries to passengers****.

When looking at the overall age range of casualties between 2018 and 2020, the majority of casualties were aged 26-35 years at 22% of the overall injuries. This was followed by 36-45 years at 15.8%, 46-55 years at 14.3%, 21-25 years at 11.5%, 16-20 years at 9.5%, 56-65 years at 9%, 66-75 years at 5%, 75+ years at 4.2%, 11-15 years at 4.1%, 6-10 years at 1.9% and lastly, 0-5 years at 1.2%.

Slater and Gordon’s data didn’t quite follow the same pattern. We saw both 22-31 and 32-41 year olds were the highest percentage of casualties, each at 26%. This was followed by 42-51 year olds at 17%, 52-61 year olds at 12%, under 21 years at 11%, 62-71 year olds at 5%, 72-81 year olds at 2% and 82 years and over at 1%.

London

Approximately 32% of road accidents causing injuries in London were drivers, followed by motorcyclists at 21%, pedestrians and cyclists each at 19% and passengers at 8%. Interestingly, driver injuries were the lowest of any other region and motorcyclist and cyclist injuries were the highest.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, the majority were drivers at 35% followed by motorcyclists at 20% (which was higher than any other region), cyclists at 19%, pedestrians at 17% and passengers at 9%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were pedestrians at 31%, followed by motorcyclists at 26%, cyclists at 23%, drivers at 14% and passengers at 5%. The proportion of serious injuries to pedestrians was higher than any other region and motorcyclists joint highest.

For those who were fatally injured, the proportion by far the highest was pedestrians at 46%. This was also by far the highest of any other region. Motorcyclists came in second at 25% followed by drivers at 18%, cyclists at 7% and passengers at 2%.

You can see from this data that although London doesn’t have the highest percentage of pedestrian accidents, they do have the most serious.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the majority of casualties from Greater London were drivers, at 54%, followed by passengers at 37% and cyclists and pedestrians at 5%. It’s clear from this that we saw a greater percentage of passengers than the data obtained by the Government.

From the Government data, in terms of age groups of casualties, the age band that tended to have the most accidents in 2020 were 26-35 year olds (6,324), with 36-45 year olds the second highest group (4,093). The number of casualties under the age of 15 were 885, whilst casualties over the age of 75 were the lowest, at 331.

In 2019, and 2018, again, 26-35 year olds remained the age group with the most casualty figures, with 7,089 in 2019 and 7,159 in 2018.

The overall driving age group most susceptible to accidents was the 26-35 year olds, with a total of 19,409 road accidents occurring for this age group across the three years.

Top Local Authority Districts in London

Westminster came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 5.6% (4,059) of the incidents recorded in London. Lambeth took second spot with approximately 4.9% (3,541) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. This was followed by Tower Hamlets at 4.4% (3,160), Southwark at 4.4% (3,136) and Wandsworth at 4% (2,859).

South East

Approximately 49% of road accidents causing injuries in the South East were drivers, followed by cyclists at 15%, pedestrians and motorcyclists each at 13% and passengers at 8%. Pedestrians were the joint lowest of any other region.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, the majority were drivers, at 54%, followed by cyclists at 14%, pedestrians at 12%, motorcyclists at 11% and passengers at 9%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were drivers, at 34%, followed by motorcyclists at 23%, cyclists at 19%, pedestrians at 16% and passengers at 6%. The proportion of serious injuries to pedestrians was lower than any other region.

For those who were fatally injured, the highest proportion was drivers, at 39%, followed by pedestrians at 21%, motorcyclists at 20%, cyclists at 7% and passengers at 5%.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the majority of casualties from the South East of England were drivers, at 62%, followed by passengers at 32% - much greater than the Government data - cyclists at 4% and pedestrians at 3%.

Looking back to the Government data the age band of casualties to see the most accidents across all three years was the 26-35 year olds.

2020 saw 3,020 accidents for this age group, with the 36-45 age group following at 2,317. 16-20 year olds saw the highest number of accidents in 2020 compared to all regions, with 1,516 accidents. The over 75 age group saw 618 accidents, whilst under 15s saw 822.

In 2019, 26-35 year olds had 3,761 accidents whilst 16-20 year olds had 1,918 – the latter, again, remaining the highest for 2019 compared to all other regions. Under 15s had 1,226 accidents, whilst over 75s had 908, surpassing all other regions in 2019.

2018 saw a total number of 3,842 accidents involving 26-35 year olds and 2,131 involving 16-20 year olds. In 2018, the South East also saw more accidents involving those aged 55+ (3,729) compared to other regions. The under 15 age group saw 1,274 accidents and the 21-25s saw 2,220. 16-20 year olds saw an overall decrease in accidents of 27% across the three years.

The driving age group most susceptible to accidents in the South East across the three years was 26-35 year olds, with a total of 10,636 road accidents, followed by the 36-45 year olds with a total of 8,245. The age group least susceptible to accidents was the over 75s, with a total of 2,411 accidents across the three years.

Top Local Authority Districts in the South East

Brighton and Hove came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 3.7% (1,917) of the incidents recorded in the South East. Medway took second spot with approximately 3.1% (1,611) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. Portsmouth saw 2.7% (1,431), Southampton 2.7% (1,411), Milton Keynes 2.5% (1,288), Guildford 2.3% (1,207), Maidstone 2.3% (1,118) and Wealden 2.1% (1,103).

South West

Approximately 48% of road accidents causing injuries in the South West were drivers, followed by cyclists at 15%, pedestrians and motorcyclists each at 14%, and passengers at 8%.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, the majority were drivers, at 51%, followed by cyclists at 15%, pedestrians at 13%, motorcyclists at 11% and passengers at 9%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were drivers, at 35%, followed by motorcyclists at 26%, pedestrians at 17%, cyclists at 15% and passengers at 5%. The proportion of serious injuries to motorcyclists was joint highest with London.

For those who were fatally injured, the highest proportion was drivers, at 48%, followed by motorcyclists at 21%, pedestrians at 18%, passengers at 6% and cyclists at 5%.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the majority of casualties from the South West of England were drivers, at 62%, followed by passengers at 30% and cyclists and pedestrians at 4%.

The age band of casualties with the most accidents from the Government data was 26-35 years olds, across all three years. 2020 saw 1,531 accidents involving 26-35 year olds, whilst 2019 saw 1,971 and 2018 saw 1,952.

Children under 15 had 426 accidents in 2020, 534 in 2019 and 584 in 2018, making them the second lowest age group, after the over 75s with a total of 1,507 across the three years, to be an accident casualty. In 2020 and 2019, 46-55 year olds had the second highest number of accidents, with 1,116 in 2020 and 1,478 in 2019. 16-20 year olds saw a slight decline in accidents year on year. In 2020 they had 787, in 2019 they had 1,091, and in 2018 they had 1,085 - a 27.5% decrease.

In terms of driving specifically, the age band most susceptible to accidents was the 25-35 year olds, with a total of 5,691 road accidents occurring for this age group across the three years.

Top Local Authority Districts in the South West

Cornwall came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 11.7% (3,171) of the incidents recorded in the South West. Bristol took second spot with approximately 9.5% (2,560) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. Wiltshire saw 9.3% (2,503), Plymouth 4.9% (1,329), South Gloucestershire 4.4% (1,189), Swindon 3.9% (1,042), Bournemouth 3.5% (953) and North Somerset 3.3% (891).

North East

Approximately 46% of road accidents causing injuries in the North East were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 19%, cyclists and passengers at 13% and motorcyclists at 8%, which was lower than any other region.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, half were drivers, at 50%, followed by pedestrians at 17%, passengers at 14%, cyclists at 13% and motorcyclists at 5%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were drivers, at 31%, followed by pedestrians at 27%, motorcyclists at 18%, cyclists at 14% and passengers at 9%.

For those who were fatally injured, the highest proportion was drivers, at 44%, followed by pedestrians at 29%, motorcyclists at 14%, passengers at 7% and cyclists at 4%, which was lower than any other region.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see again that the majority of casualties from the North East were drivers, at 56%, followed by passengers at 39%, cyclists at 3% and pedestrians at 2%.

Looking back to the Government data, 26-35 year olds had the most accidents with a figure of 463 in 2020, 609 in 2019 and 654 in 2018. 36-45 year olds followed with a total of 308 accidents in 2020, 425 in 2019 and 454 in 2018.

Under 15s accounted for 227 casualties in 2020, 289 in 2019 and 330 in 2018 – an overall decrease of 31%. Over 75s were involved in 113 accidents in total for 2020, 163 in 2019 and 169 in 2018, the lowest amount in comparison with the other age groups.

Top Local Authority Districts in the North East

County Durham came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 22.2% (1,937) of the incidents recorded in the North East. Northumberland took second spot with approximately 17% (1,481) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. Newcastle upon Tyne saw 16.7% (1,460), Sunderland 13.1% (1,144) Gateshead 11% (960), South Tyneside 6.2% and Darlington 5.3%

North West

Approximately 47% of road accidents causing injuries in the North West were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 20%, cyclists at 15% and passengers and motorcyclists at 9%.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, 51% were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 18%, cyclists at 14%, passengers at 10% and motorcyclists at 7%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were drivers, at 30%, followed by pedestrians at 27%, motorcyclists at 19%, cyclists at 17% and passengers at 6%.

For those who were fatally injured, the highest proportion was drivers, at 38%, closely followed by pedestrians at 30%, motorcyclists at 16%, cyclists at 8% and passengers at 4%, which was the lowest of any region outside of London.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the majority of casualties from the North West of England were drivers, at 52% - which was lower than any other region - followed by passengers at 42%, which was higher than any other region. Cyclists and pedestrians were both at 3%.

The Government data suggests that 26-35 year olds had the most accidents of all age groups, at 1,799 accidents in 2020, 2,340 in 2019 and 2,623 in 2018.

The second most-affected group was 36-45 year olds, with a total of 1,321 accidents in 2020, 1,321 in 2019 and 1,865 in 2018.

Children under 15 had high figures compared to other regions (apart from London and the South East), with figures of 809 in 2020, 1,103 in 2019 and 1,240 in 2018, despite an overall decrease of 35%. This figure remained higher than figures for 16-25 year olds and those aged over 46.

Those over the age of 75 accounted for 371 accidents in 2020, 563 in 2019 and 586 in 2018.

Top Local Authority Districts in the North West

Liverpool came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 7.7% (2,530) of the incidents recorded in the North West. Manchester took second spot with approximately 7.5% (2,450) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. Cheshire East saw 5.7% (1,862), Cheshire West and Chester 5.2% (1,656), Wirral 3.8% (1,239) Sefton 3.5% (1,145), Bolton 3.4% (1,105) and Warrington 3.2% (1,061).

East Midlands

Approximately 49% of road accidents causing injuries in the East Midlands were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 16%, cyclists at 13%, motorcyclists at 11% and passengers at 10%.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, 52% were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 15%, cyclists at 12%, passengers at 11% and motorcyclists at 8%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were drivers, at 37%, followed by motorcyclists at 22%, pedestrians at 20%, cyclists at 14% and passengers at 6%.

For those who were fatally injured, the highest proportion was drivers, at 48%, followed by pedestrians at 21%, motorcyclists at 17%, cyclists at 7% and passengers at 5%.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the majority of casualties from the East Midlands were drivers, at 61%, followed by passengers at 34%, and cyclists and pedestrians at 3%.

From the Government data, the age bands of casualties with the highest number of accidents was 26-35 year olds, with 1,444 occurring in 2020, 1,825 in 2019 and 1,728 in 2018.

The second most-affected group was 36-45 year olds, with 982 accidents in 2020, 1,190 in 2019 and 1,262 in 2018. Under 15 casualties made up 459 of the total accidents in 2020, with 654 occurring in 2019 and 658 in 2018 – an overall decrease of 30% across the years.

In 2020, those aged over 75 made up 254 of all accidents, whilst the age group accounted for 395 in 2019 and 408 in 2018.

Top Local Authority Districts in the East Midlands

Nottingham came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 9.8% (2,296) of the incidents recorded in the East Midlands. Leicester took second spot with approximately 7.1% (1,664) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. Derby saw 5.7% (1,347), East Lindsey 4.7% (1,113), Northampton 4.1% (959), South Kesteven 3.2% (759), Newark and Sherwood 3.1% (741) and North Kesteven with 3.1% (740).

West Midlands

Approximately 52% of road accidents causing injuries in the West Midlands were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 18%, cyclists at 11% and passengers and motorcyclists at 9%.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, 57% were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 16%, cyclists and passengers at 10% and motorcyclists at 6%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were drivers, at 33%, followed by pedestrians at 27%, motorcyclists at 20%, cyclists at 13% and passengers at 5%.

For those who were fatally injured, the highest proportion was drivers, at 41%, followed by pedestrians at 26%, motorcyclists at 19%, cyclists at 7% and passengers at 5%.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the majority of casualties from the West Midlands were drivers, at 56%, followed by passengers at 39%, pedestrians at 3% and cyclists at 2%.

The age band of casualties with the highest number of accidents in the Government data was 26-35 year olds, with 1,513 accidents occurring in 2020, 2,055 in 2019 and 2,105 in 2018. The second most affected group was 36-45 year olds, with 1,066 accidents in 2020, 1,492 in 2019 and 1,539 in 2018.

Casualties involving children under the age of 15 accounted for 8.5% of the total number of accidents in 2020 at 592. The figures were 840 in 2019 and 828 in 2018. Accidents involving those over 75 made up 259 of the total accidents in the West Midlands in 2020, 373 in 2019 and 349 in 2018.

Top Local Authority Districts in the West Midlands

Birmingham came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 26.3% (7,038) of incidents recorded in the West Midlands. Sandwell took second spot with approximately 6.3% (1,686) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. Coventry saw 5.9% (1,571), Wolverhampton 5% (1,347), Walsall 5% (1,330), Shropshire 4.8% (1,277), Dudley 4.2% (1,113) and Stoke-on-Trent 3.7% (998).

East of England

Approximately 54% of road accidents causing injuries in the East of England were drivers, followed by pedestrians and cyclists at 13%, motorcyclists at 11% and passengers at 8%.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, 58% were drivers -which was higher than any other region - followed by cyclists at 13%, pedestrians at 11%, passengers at 9% and motorcyclists at 8%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were drivers, at 38% - which, along with Wales, came joint highest - followed by motorcyclists at 21%, pedestrians at 18%, cyclists at 16% and passengers at 6%.

For those who were fatally injured, the highest proportion was drivers, at 49%, followed by pedestrians at 18%, motorcyclists at 17%, cyclists at 8% and passengers at 6%.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the majority of casualties from the East of England were drivers, at 61%, followed by passengers at 33%, pedestrians at 4% and cyclists at 3%.

The age band of casualties with the highest number of accidents according to the Government data was 26-35 year olds, with 1,792 accidents occurring in 2020, 2,239 in 2019 and 2,105 in 2018. The group with the second highest number was 36-45 year olds with 1,066 accidents in 2020, 1,492 in 2019 and 2,279 in 2018.

In terms of casualties involving children under the age of 15, there were 503 in 2020 - 29% lower than 2018. 2019 saw the highest figure within this age group, at 736. In 2020, over 75s had the most accidents in the region at 390. 2019 saw a total of 516 accidents involving over 75 year olds and 2018 saw 600 - a total difference of 35%.

Top Local Authority Districts in the East of England

Central Bedfordshire came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 5.3% (1,674) of incidents recorded in the East of England. Luton took second spot with approximately 4.1% (1,297) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. Peterborough saw 3.9% (1,226), Colchester 3.2% (1,002), Bedford 3.2% (1,001), Epping Forest 3.2% (999), South Cambridgeshire 2.8% (881) and Northwich 2.8% (877).

Yorkshire/Humberside

Approximately 45% of road accidents causing injuries in Yorkshire/Humberside were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 18%, cyclists at 16%, passengers at 11% and motorcyclists at 10%.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, 48% were drivers, followed by pedestrians and cyclists at 16%, passengers at 12% and motorcyclists at 8%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were drivers, at 32%, followed by pedestrians at 24%, motorcyclists at 18%, cyclists at 17% and passengers at 7%.

For those who were fatally injured, the highest proportion was drivers, at 38%, followed by pedestrians at 25%, motorcyclists at 22% and cyclists and passengers at 7%.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the majority of casualties from Yorkshire/Humberside were drivers, at 57%, followed by passengers at 37% and cyclists and pedestrians at 3%.

According to the Government data, the age group of casualties with the highest number of accidents was 26-35 year olds, with 1,706 accidents occurring in 2020, 2,001 in 2019 and 2,065 in 2018. The second most affected group was 36-45 year olds, with 1,223 accidents in 2020, 1,464 in 2019 and 1,651 in 2018.

Casualties under the age of 15 accounted for 779 of all accidents in 2020 - 28% lower than 2018. Over 75s had 297 accidents in 2020, 471 in 2019 and 491 in 2018, making a total difference of 40%.

Top Local Authority Districts in Yorkshire/Humberside

Leeds came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 13.4% (3,996) of incidents recorded in Yorkshire/Humberside. Sheffield took second spot with approximately 9% (2,668) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. Bradford saw 8.5% (2,518), Kingston upon Hull 7.4% (2,209), East Riding of Yorkshire 6.3% (1,865), Doncaster 6% (1,775), Kirklees 5.8% (1,713) and Wakefield 5% (1,497).

Scotland

Approximately 45% of road accidents causing injuries in Scotland were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 20%, passengers at 14%, cyclists at 11% and motorcyclists at 9%.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, 50% were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 17%, passengers at 16%, cyclists at 11% and motorcyclists at 6%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were drivers, at 33%, followed by pedestrians at 25%, motorcyclists at 17%, cyclists at 13% and passengers at 10%.

For those who were fatally injured, the highest proportion was drivers, at 45%, followed by pedestrians at 25%, motorcyclists at 15%, passengers at 8% and cyclists at 5%.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the majority of casualties from Scotland were drivers, at 61%, followed by passengers at 37%, pedestrians at 2% and cyclists at 1%.

According to the Government data, the age groups of casualties with the highest number of accidents was 26-35 year olds, with 752 accidents in 2020, 1,003 in 2019 and 1,201 in 2018. The second most affected group was 46-55 year olds, with 582 accidents in 2020, 901 in 2019 and 1,019 in 2018.

Under 15 casualties totalled 348 in 2020 - 36% lower than in 2018. Over 75s had 150 accidents in 2020, 471 accidents in 2019 and 353 in 2018 - a total decrease of 57% from 2018 to 2020.

Top Local Authority Districts in Scotland

Glasgow came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 14.6% (2,324) of incidents recorded in Scotland. Edinburgh took second spot with approximately 12.1% (1,932) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. South Lanarkshire saw 5.9% (943), Highland 5.9% (937), North Lanarkshire 5.7% (911), Fife 5.5% (874), West Lothian 4% (633) and Dumfries and Galloway with 3.5% (565).

Wales

Approximately 51% of road accidents causing injuries in Wales were drivers, followed by pedestrians at 16%, motorcyclists at 13%, cyclists at 10% and passengers at 9%.

Of those whose injuries were considered slight, approximately 55% were drivers, followed by pedestrians, at 15%, passengers at 11%, cyclists at 10% and motorcyclists at 9%.

For those whose injuries were considered serious, the majority were drivers, at 38% - which, along with the East of England, came joint highest - followed by motorcyclists at 23%, pedestrians at 20%, cyclists at 12% and passengers at 6%.

For those who were fatally injured, the highest proportion was drivers, at 43%, followed by pedestrians at 24%, motorcyclists at 19%, cyclists at 6% and passengers at 5%.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the majority of casualties from Wales were drivers, at 59%, followed by passengers at 35% and cyclists and pedestrians at 3%.

The age group of casualties with the highest number of accidents according to the Government data were 26-35 year olds, with 559 occurring in 2020, 818 in 2019 and 743 in 2018. The second most affected group over the three year period was 46-55 year olds, with 389 accidents in 2020, 638 in 2019 and 618 in 2018.

Under 15 casualties totalled 231 in 2020 - 35% lower than in 2018. Those over the age of 75 had 133 accidents in 2020, 250 accidents in 2019 and 225 in 2018, with a total decrease of 41% between 2018 and 2020.

Top Local Authority Districts in Wales

Carmarthenshire came out top as the area where road users are most likely to be injured in a road accident with approximately 9.1% (1,035) of incidents recorded in Wales. Cardiff took second spot with approximately 8.6% (986) of people being hurt in a collision over the three-year period. Powys saw 7.9% (901), Swansea 6.1% (694), Rhondda 6% (685), Pembrokeshire 5.7% (655), Newport 5.2% (595) and Flintshire with 4.4% (507).

Summary

From all of the information above, it appears that, for passengers, the region which had the majority percentage for each of the injury types was Scotland, with 16% for slight, 10% for serious and 8% for fatal. The regions with the lowest for slight were London, South East, South West and East of England with 9%; serious were London, South West and West Midlands with 5%; and fatal was London, with by far the lowest at 2%.

For drivers, the East of England had the highest percentage for each injury type, with 58% for slight, 38% for serious (which was also joint highest with Wales) and 49% for fatal. London had the overall lowest percentage of injuries for drivers with 35% for slight, 14% for serious and 18% for fatal.

What Slater and Gordon’s data shows for drivers is that the majority of road accident enquiries (19%) were from the South East of England. The East of England was fourth highest at 10%.

Despite London having the lowest percentage of each injury type for drivers, it actually had the overall highest for motorcyclists, with 20% for slight, 26% for serious and 25% for fatal. The lowest percentages for motorcyclists were the North East, with 5% for slight, Scotland with 17% for serious and once again the North East for fatal, with 14%.

The highest percentages for cyclists was London for both slight (19%) and serious (23%), but the highest percentage for fatal was in fact both the North West and East of England, with 8%. The lowest for cyclists were the West Midlands and Wales, with 10% for slight, Wales with 12% for serious and the North East with 4% for fatal.

Slater and Gordon’s data showed the majority of cycling accident enquiries came from the Greater London area, with 24% of the overall enquiries. The North West was third, with 14%, and East of England fourth with 9%.

Finally, when looking at pedestrians, the East of England was the lowest for slight injuries, at 11%, opposed to the North West with the highest, at 18%. The South East was the lowest for serious injuries, at 16%, as opposed to London with the highest at 31%, and the South West was the lowest for fatal injuries, at 18%, as opposed to London with the highest at 46%.

From Slater and Gordon’s data, we can see that the largest proportion of enquiries came in from the Greater London area, with 25%, followed by the South East at 18% and the North West at 13%.

*Slight refers to minor road incidents and is a term used by the Department for Transport.

**Data for this study was from Slater and Gordon Lawyers and the Government database, relating to accidents causing injury, and is an estimate, given some of the data from each source was incomplete or missing, and includes estimated population figures.

***For the purpose of this report, drivers include drivers of a motor vehicle such as a car, bus, coach, minibus, taxi/private hire, van or goods vehicle.

****For the purpose of this report, passengers include passengers of motor vehicle such as a car, bus, coach, minibus, taxi/private hire, van or goods vehicle.

This article was correct at the time of publication.

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